The Trouble With Family
by Kenya Grim
Summary: Family is complicated. Nikka knows this better than most. When her brother goes missing, it's the family she chose that turns out to be just as complicated as the one she was born with. Trooper and Smuggler storylines combined. Lots of smuggler attitude. Mainly Theron/Smuggler, but also some Lana/OC, Smuggler/Corso, Trooper/Elara. Story fully written, just needs to be posted.
1. Chapter 1

Here's another new story for your reading pleasure. This one is complete, it's just a matter of getting it posted. The more reads/reviews I get, the more quickly I'll be motivated to post. Enjoy!

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**Satele Shan POV**

I waited quietly in the council chambers while the last of our offworld members joined the holocall. The Jedi council was always scattered around the galaxy on various missions, but at least once a month we tried to get everyone in the same room, at the same time, even if most of my fellow masters were attending via holo.

Normally I'm very engaged during this monthly meeting. It was expected the grandmaster of the Jedi Order would, at the very least, pay attention, if not contribute significantly. This meeting was different, though. I doubted any of my fellow masters could sense it, but I could. It felt like a small blip in the Force. Like a single, intense flash of light at the fringes of my consciousness. The more I focused on it, the more it stubbornly refused to coalesce.

The meeting agenda was fairly normal, consisting of updates on current missions, discussions on potential future missions, affairs with the Republic, and so on. Nothing truly urgent, considering there was still peace, albeit a shaky peace, between the Republic and the Sith Empire. I contributed enough that my distraction wasn't obvious, but I was certain a few of my fellow masters sitting in the room with me had picked up on it, though none of them commented.

Finally, near the end of the meeting, the topic which I had been waiting for was brought up. I had been prepared to start the conversation myself, but figured one of the other masters would do it for me and I had not been disappointed. Jedi potentials were always discussed during these meetings, at some point. New students were very important to the Order. Our numbers had been on the decline for years now and new students were the only chance for our future.

"I think next we must discuss the request we received a few weeks ago from Nikka Drucos." Syo Bakarn said, looking between us. There were several head nods of agreement. This particular request had been seen by almost every member of the council and had been discussed several times before this meeting.

Normally, new Jedi potentials are found by masters while they travel the galaxy, usually relying on the Force to guide them. Sometimes younger children were brought to us by worried parents or older teenagers and young adults arrived on their own, to be tested. This situation was different. This Nikka Drucos already knew she was Force sensitive and though she wished to be trained, she had no desire to be a Jedi or to join the Order. Not to mention, she was older than our traditional new padawan. It was a very peculiar request.

"I think it would be dangerous to train her." Jaric Kaedan said in his usual gruff manner. "She's too old and set in her ways. She wishes to be trained, but without the goal of joining the Order. It's ludicrous."

"That is all true, Jaric, but what will happen if she's left untrained? If her potential is as she believes, would it not also be dangerous to leave her to her own devices? How long will she continue on her path before the Darkside catches up with her? If she truly has power, and desires to learn how to use it, it will only be a matter of time before the Darkside tempts her." Master Gnost-Dural added. He had first hand experience, considering one of his own padawans had fallen to the Darkside.

Orgus Din nodded. "Will she accept our refusal and leave it alone, or seek training elsewhere? We looked into her background and there's little information on her, almost like parts of her past have been erased. It's suspicious."

I remained quiet as the master's debated. My silence didn't go unnoticed.

"You've been oddly quiet, Satele." Bela Kiwiiks said, giving me a puzzled look. I refuse to believe you don't have an opinion on this matter."

The chatter silenced, everyone waiting for my reply. I nodded, exhaling slowly and gathering my thoughts. "I have, but only because I have been contemplating this request since it arrived and wished to hear all of your opinions on the matter. There is something about this woman that has been sticking in my mind during my meditations. There is something the Force is trying to guide me to, though it's stubbornly unclear. I believe we should grant her request and I wish to guide her training myself."

My comment shocked every one of the masters. It was extremely uncommon for the leader of the council to take on the role of primary teacher to a single student. Most council members simply didn't have time, and I had even less, but the blip in the Force had started when her request arrived. It wasn't a coincidence.

"Satele, you haven't taken a padawan since before you became grandmaster." Syo replied.

"I feel in this case, I must. The Force is drawing me to this woman, for what purpose, I do not know, but I think it would be a mistake to ignore her request. She has an important part to play, I can feel it."

"I believe you Satele, but it's odd none of us have felt this same sense of urgency." Orgus Din replied. "But I do agree with you, I think we should at least meet with her. Maybe if she's here, in person, we'll sense more. Not to mention, we can get a full read on her intentions. This whole conversation might have been for nothing, if it turns out she's not as Force sensitive has she believes."

We agreed on the course of action, though some did so reluctantly. After we adjourned the meeting, I headed to my meditation chambers to make a call. If Nikka Drucos wished to be trained by the Jedi, she'd need to come to Tython before we agreed to anything more than a conversation.

It was all so strange...

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To Be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 up. Let me know what you think so far. Thanks for reading.

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Nikka Drucos POV

"I don't know, Risha." I said again, reading over the long list of modifications Risha had drawn up for the ship. It included an adjustment to the main engine core, a re-calibration of all stabilizers and a total overhaul of the hyperdrive. I really wasn't surprised by the request. Risha didn't do well with idle hands and was always finding improvements and modifications to make to the ship in her free time. We'd had a lot of free time, as of late.

"We need this upgrade, Captain, and honestly, I think this is probably the best time to do it, considering everything is finally quiet, for once. We have both the money and the time."

"Perhaps, but this list will be expensive and will take months of time dry docked to complete." I replied, knowing my answer was weak, at best. Risha was a master mechanic. She had made modifications to the ship, on the fly, on multiple occasions. She could do magnificent things when given the proper tools and the time she needed to do the job right.

Risha actually snorted. "You're currently out of enemies, with Skavak and the Voidwolf dead and Rogan being your new best friend. And don't even talk about the cost. You're the richest smuggler in the galaxy and I've seen you spend thousands of credits on things far less important than this ship. I'm sure you remember at least some of our last trip to Nar Shaddaa. Not to mention we have no work lined up, at the moment. It's the perfect time. I know you hate being dry docked, so do I, but I don't understand why you're being so difficult."

"How long will it take to get what we need to start?" I asked, giving up my fight. I honestly didn't know why I was giving Risha a hard time in the first place. It might have been simply a part of my personality. I enjoyed giving people a hard time. Some people collected things, some people played sports, I annoyed people. Everyone has to have a hobby and I seemed to have a natural talent for being irritating.

"Once we get to Port Nowhere, probably a week, maybe two. Once I get what we need, it'll take a few months to get everything installed and running, as long as Corso stays out of the way. It'll be nice to have the luxury of time, for a change."

Corso walked into the engine room. "I heard that."

"I'm not trying to offend you, Corso, I'm just being honest. You know your way around weapons, but when it comes to starship upgrades, you'll only slow me down." Risha said, rationalizing her statement.

If I were being honest, I agreed with her. My husband has his strengths, but detailed starship modification was not one of them. He could keep the ship working if he needed to, so could I, but improvements were still a few steps above his knowledge base. Not that any of us could tell him that. Corso was easily rattled.

I walked up to Corso and placed my arms around his neck. "Besides babe, I can think of a few things you'd much rather be doing with your time while we're dry docked." I made my voice sound as sultry as I could manage. I was pretty much a tomboy at heart, though I was attractive enough to get away with flirting my way through some situations, particularly where Corso was concerned.

Risha rolled her eyes, but restrained from making the sound of disgust I knew she was fighting not to make. She didn't like thinking about what Corso and I did during our private time, but in this case, I was doing my best to help her and she knew it.

"You have a point there. I'll leave the work to Risha." Corso said after what I had said sunk in, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me once on the lips, then on the forehead. "I'll go back up front, let the two of you sort this out."

We watched Corso leave and Risha audibly sighed when he was gone.

"I honestly don't know what you see in the farmboy, Captain, but I'm grateful."

I chuckled. "Sometimes I'm not sure about that myself. He's definitely not my usual type." I shrugged. "I guess some things can' t be explained." I handed her list back to her.

"There are some questions in life I'm perfectly happy not knowing the answer to. You're happy, so I guess that's enough."

"Don't go getting sappy on me, Risha." I turned to leave. "Do whatever you need to for the upgrades. I'll leave it all in your very capable hands."

I headed down the corridor and into my room. I was honestly looking forward to a nice long dry dock. I was a spacer at heart, but it was nice to plant your feet on solid ground once in awhile. Besides, in this case, solid ground was Port Nowhere, so I still considered it being on a starship. A very large starship, but I was counting it as being in space.

After finally ridding the world of Skavak, making peace with Rogan the Butcher and doing the Republic a solid by ending the tyranny of the Voidwolf, I was ready for a vacation. The last bit had earned me the title of 'Republic Privateer', but as far as I was concerned, I was still a smuggler. Always had been, always would be. Going respectable wasn't my style and it certainly wasn't any fun.

If I wanted to live by a set of rules thrown down by a faction, I would have joined the military, like my older brother. He had managed to finagle himself into the command position of Havoc Squad, the Republic's most decorated special forces unit. He was good at being a soldier and I was more than happy to leave him to it. I personally wouldn't be found dead saluting a superior officer, who was only my superior based on the opinions of others. Besides, I had never been very good at following rules.

There was also the potential of becoming a Jedi that I've spent my life ignoring. I was Force sensitive. I had never been trained or tested, but I knew. It was nothing much more than a very good intuition when it came to the sincerity of others. I could have just written it all off as luck, if I hadn't accidentally flipped a switch to a security alarm with my mind once, while I was desperately trying to get off the space station I was actively trying to rob. No, I was Force sensitive alright.

If I didn't like the idea of being in the military, I sure as hell didn't want to throw in with the Jedi. I had done my research when I was younger and learned I wanted nothing to do with them, either. They had more rules than the military and Jedi weren't even allowed to have personal relationships. I, personally, enjoyed my personal relationships. That was one thing I never wanted to give up. A girl has needs. It made me wonder how the Jedi managed to survive without an outlet for physical release. It was unhealthy to bottle up that kind of thing.

Nope, I was a smuggler and I was perfectly content with remaining that way. I was in a good place, at the moment, and didn't want to do anything to mess it up. My finances were in top notch order, since coming into Nok Drayen's lost fortune and my recorded history was squeaky clean, since I had an acquaintance scrub it for me a few years back. True, squeaky clean records usually flagged people as either hackers or criminals, but I was comfortable with that. Not all my business dealings were legal. I could be called a criminal, but no one could prove it. You were only a criminal if you got caught.

To top it all off, I was also happily married, which shocked the hell out of me. Corso Riggs was not the type of guy I normally found myself attracted to. Typically I was very much a 'guy at every port' kinda girl. I liked men, and the occasional woman, who shared my sense of adventure and lived along the fine line between legitimate businessman and criminal. Corso wasn't like that. The word wholesome defined him quite nicely. Don't get me wrong, he was a good guy. He was very old fashioned in his treatment of women, even those who did their best to kill him. Basically, not my type at all, but something about him made me happy and that's what counts.

I laid back on my bed and look up at the ceiling. I slowly started to drift off to sleep. I was startled awake by Corso over the intercom.

"Hey, Captain, you got a call coming in from Tython." He said. I could tell by his voice he was slightly confused by the origin of the call. It wasn't like I got calls from the Jedi homeworld everyday. He didn't know about the request to be trained I sent to the Jedi council a few weeks earlier. I decided not to tell him until I received an answer. For some reason he was a little bit flighty when it came to the Jedi, particularly after finding out I was Force sensitive. He never told me why and I never pressed the issue.

I reached over, pressing the intercom button located on the wall at the head of the bed. "I'll take it in my room, Corso. Send it through." Moments later, the holo began to beep. I sat up, trying to make myself look just a tad more respectable. I had requested to be trained in the use of the Force. I needed to look like I could play the part.

"Captain Drucos speaking."

"I'm Grandmaster Satele Shan, leader of the Jedi council. I'm calling in regards to your request."

Holy shit! The leader of the Jedi was calling me. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad thing.

"I didn't realize my request warranted a call from the leader of the council." I replied, pretty much at a loss of what else to say. I wasn't used to talking with legitimately 'important' people. Even I had respect for the Jedi grandmaster.

"We'd like to speak with you on Tython, at your convenience."

"...Yes, of course. I'm on the other side of the galaxy right now, but I can be there in a couple of days."

The Jedi nodded. "We'll speak then."

The holo went dead and I sat back down. Now I was really confused. If they were rejecting my request outright, they wouldn't have had their leader give me a call and request my presence on Tython. So, it wasn't a no, but it certainly didn't feel like a yes, either.

Honestly, I really didn't know why I made the request to be trained in the first place. I didn't want to be a Jedi and I didn't express any desire to be one in my request. True, being able to use the gifts I was born with would probably give me an advantage in my business dealings, but that wasn't the reason I contacted Tython. Not really. Being trained just felt like something I needed to do.

I sat quietly for probably a half hour before Corso knocked and poked his head through the door. Even though we were married, he still kept his things in a separate bunk. He slept in my room most nights, but he said he felt better having a little separation between us, considering I was also his captain, as well as his wife. I tried to convince him otherwise, but didn't push the issue. I had more important battles to fight than convincing my husband to live with me.

"What was that all about? I didn't know you knew anyone on Tython." He said. I could tell he was worried about the call. I would be too, if I were him. He didn't know that I made contact first and this was just a reply.

"I don't know anyone on Tython, not directly. As to what this is about, I have an idea, but I don't know for sure. They requested I meet with the council on Tython. Is Port Nowhere still parked in the same place?"

Corso nodded. "Just confirmed the location before we started heading that way."

"Good. We'll be flying right passed Tython." I sat, thinking for a moment, then stood, smiling a Corso. "I'll have you drop me off on the planet before heading to Port Nowhere without me."

"There's no way we're just dropping you off and leaving you there!" Corso said, with far more aggression than the situation warranted.

"It's not like you're dropping me off on some backwoods planet, full of cannibalistic natives. We're talking about the homeworld of the Jedi. True, Jedi aren't the greatest of company, but I'm sure I'll be perfectly safe, if not slightly bored. I need to go, Corso."

He sighed, entering the room fully and sitting on the bed. I sat next to him.

"Is this one of those times when your intuition is telling you to do something?" He asked.

My intuition was how we referred to my Force sensitivity. Every so often I'd do something totally out of left field, all because it felt like the right thing to do. Every time, the action had panned out with the best possible outcome. I learned to trust my intuition, even if Corso didn't like it much. He didn't like the idea that some mystical force was telling me what to do.

"I think so."

"I'm going with you."

I looked down at my hand, then back up at Corso. "I think I need to do this alone."

Corso stood up suddenly. "How did I know you were going to say that! What's going on, Nikka? What are you keeping from me?" His voice was louder than normal, but not quite a full yell.

I said nothing, just waited for him to calm down. Corso didn't raise his voice often. It wasn't in his nature. When he did, he usually regretted it shortly afterwards and I had picked up the habit of staying quiet until after that realization. No need to start an argument when I knew he'd apologize for yelling without me saying a word.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, as he paced the room. After about five minutes of this, he stopped pacing and knelt in front of me. "I'm sorry. There's nothing calling for me to yell like that. I'm just worried. It's not like you to keep things from me."

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

"You know I do. With my life."

I placed a hand gently on his cheek.

"Then please trust me on this one. I promise, when I know more, I'll tell you." I hated keeping things from him, but I just had a strong feeling that I needed to keep this Force thing quiet. At least for now. I hated that I was allowing this annoying gift of mine to actually influence my decisions, but every fiber of my being was telling me this was the right thing to do. That made it annoy me even more.

Would I allow the Force to potentially hurt my marriage? Apparently, the answer was yes.

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To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 up. Thanks for reading and enjoy.

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**Nikka POV**

I sat with my back against a tree, looking out over the Jedi temple. I was doing my best to meditate, but I was finding it difficult. A message from my crew had arrived and my mind was anything but at peace.

It had been just over a month since I was dropped off on Tython for my meeting with the Jedi council. The meeting had gone surprisingly well.

Most of the Jedi masters on the council were fairly reluctant to give me any kind of training, but I got the impression they were concerned about what would happen if they rejected me. The answer: nothing. I just planned to continue on as I always had if they said no. What did they think I'd do, go find myself a friendly Sith and ask him to train me? The idea was ludicrous, but I wasn't going to tell them that. If they decided to help me out, just to keep me from going to the other side, who was I to object.

In the end, Grandmaster Shan ended the debate by confirming her decision to train me herself. I was shocked. I hadn't expected to be trained by the highest level Jedi in existence. Once I was alone with the woman, I asked why she was so keen to train me. Her answer: the Force was compelling her to. Again, who was I to argue.

Master Satele was an interesting woman. She was well in her fifties, probably close to sixty, but you could never tell from the look of her. Besides a few wrinkles around her eyes and a few gray hairs, she easily looked twenty years younger. Personality wise, she seemed to emit a presence of calm, but yet she had a powerful way about her which I bet even non-Force users picked up on. She was a good person to have on your side, but you never wanted to cross her.

After getting approved to be trained, I sent a message back to my crew and one just for Corso. I had expected to get some type of reply from him, but all I got in return was a quick acknowledgement and a 'everything is in good hands' from Risha. Corso didn't reply at all. I tried to holo him a few times, but he never picked up.

Last night, before bed, I had gotten a second communication from Risha. She said Corso was gone. He had been overly upset by my decision to stay on Tython for a few months to train and after four weeks of brooding in the cantina on Port Nowhere, ignoring my calls, he had just up and left. No explanation. No note. Risha had learned he had left with one of Rogan's ships, but she couldn't confirm anything beyond that.

I should have been devastated, but I was more confused than anything. This was my husband I was talking about. The man I had vowed to spend the rest of my life with. The one I had given up my 'man in every port' mentality for. It wasn't like I was leaving to become a Jedi and take up the vow of no attachments they seemed to stress. I would have been back in a few months, same as I was, just a little more educated on the Force. I didn't understand it.

"You're troubled, Nikka." Master Satele said, as she walked up from behind me. I should have sensed her coming, but I was too distracted to notice. Force 1, Nikka 0.

"I got a communication from my crew last night. Turns out your concern about my primary attachment back home distracting me during my training won't be a problem anymore. My husband left my crew and, I'm assuming, me."

She sat next to me, looking out over the horizon quietly. It felt like she was looking through me, trying to pick up anything that might indicate emotional instability, though she wasn't even looking in my direction. The feeling was a bit creepy.

"You don't seem as troubled as you should be, if your marriage is ending." She said. He voice was totally even and neutral.

I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. I had to agree with her. "I'm not. I'm a little disappointed, and fairly confused, but more because of his reaction than the actual act. He just left, no explanation. Corso was never a man of many words, but I had thought he'd have something to say. I know he's always been leery of Jedi, but I didn't think it was enough to end our relationship. But if you're asking if I'm troubled about him leaving, I guess I'm not, really." I sighed deeply. "It is what it is. I can't force him to stay. Does that make me a bad person?"

Satele turned and smiled at me. "No. You seem to grasp a concept many struggle with. Everyone, connection to the Force or not, must face turns in their road. Instead of fighting to get back on a path which is not right for you, simply because it's what you know and are comfortable with, you're choosing to follow a new path. You're feeling disappointment and confusion, but you're not letting those emotions dictate what you do next. You may not believe it, but you have a mastery of your own emotions some Jedi work their entire lives to achieve." She stood, looking down at me. "Take a day or two. Come to terms with your new reality. We'll start your training again when you're ready."

She walked away, leaving me with my thoughts. I had a feeling our "delay" in training was actually a lesson. Satele was good at making lessons out of everything. But, damned if she wasn't right. Maybe the path I was following with Corso had come to an end or maybe it was just a detour. Like we were both traveling from point A to point C, but he was taking the direct route and I was stopping at point B first. If we were meant to be together, we would be, someday.

I straightened back up against my tree and doubled my efforts to calm my mind. For now, my training was what was important. Everything else could wait.

I slipped into a peaceful meditation, my mind opening up to the possibilities.

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To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

New chapter up. This one is a bit playful. Hope you enjoy.

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**Nikka POV**

I stood outside the shuttle bay, waiting for a shuttle to arrive to take me up to the Tython space station and my waiting ship. It felt odd to be dressed in my usual spacer cloths, rather than the robes I had worn during my training.

Risha had confirmed all the modifications to the Blade's Edge were complete and the ship was in better than 100 percent readiness. This wasn't a surprise, considering it had been dry docked at Port Nowhere for six and a half months. This meant I had been training for just over six months.

Did I feel different now? Not really. True, I was more aware of my surroundings and the Force presence within them, that was for sure, but I still felt like myself. I was now hyper aware of the people around me, which would come in handy if someone ever tried to sneak up on me, and I could actually move stuff with my mind on purpose. Before, I could only do that by accident, as an uncontrolled emotional response. It turned out I was fairly gifted with the telekinetic powers of the Force.

Master Satele had commented on how fast I was picking things up. The casual approach to the Force, which normally didn't work out for younger students, seemed to just make things easier for me to learn. I even picked up a few things about lightsaber fighting, though I was not strong enough yet to build the weapon from scratch. I was confident in my own abilities now, which made the whole ordeal worthwhile. Worthwhile with one possible exception...Corso.

I doubted sometime during the last few months he had somehow come to his senses and came back. The thought made me sad, and once I was back on my ship, I'd take the time to deal with his loss. I couldn't control his leaving anymore than I could control the weather. I'd mourn the loss, then move on. Cold, perhaps, but pragmatic. In my line of work, sentimentality wasn't profitable.

One thing I did look forward to doing was fixing up the old lightsaber currently stashed in my room. I had gotten it by accident, then I purchased an old storage lockbox, which apparently was previously owned by some long dead Force user, probably a Sith, judging by the red color of the blade and the Imperial materials in the box. The weapon didn't work well, often refusing to ignite, but I was now confident, with a little work and effort, I'd be able to fix it. And not just fix it, but modify it for my own needs. Getting a new crystal would be easy and I actually understood the Force aspect of its construction. I wondered what Master Satele would say if she knew I didn't need to wait to be strong enough to build a lightsaber. I had a cheat ready.

The shuttle made its way down to the landing platform, landing flawlessly. I could sense the pilot and two other semi powerful Jedi onboard. I could also sense one other lifeform. I couldn't help but smile. It was a mind I hadn't sensed in six and a half months. Even without the additional training, I'd know the mind anywhere.

The ramp lowered and I could hear a low grumble come from inside, as the Jedi were hurried out of the shuttle by Bowdaar. The wookie was being impatient for the other passengers to get out of his way and wasn't being quiet about his annoyance. Once outside the ship, he headed right to me, enveloping me into a tight, furry hug, which was almost smothering.

"I missed you, my friend." He said in his growly language.

"I missed you too, big guy." I replied.

It had taken me a few months to get fluent enough in Bowdaar's language so I could fully understand him. I had learned to understand the language slightly over the years from a few business dealings, but only when Bowdaar joined my crew, did I truly learn to understand his growls, grumbles and barks.

I had missed my furry friend. It was handy to have a wookie around, particularly with me being a smallish, female smuggler. Try as I might, I was just not good at giving off an air of intimidation in my dealings. That was where Bowdaar came in. People were less likely to rip you off, when you have someone by your side who could, literally, rip you off. Usually your arms, but your legs would do in a pinch. Not to mention he carried a large blaster rifle and an even larger vibroblade. There were very few beings more intimidating than a large, heavily armed wookie.

"I didn't know someone was coming down to collect me." I said, picking up my one bag and heading onto the shuttle, Bowdaar following close behind. The pilot didn't look very happy to find out that his wookie passenger was getting back on the shuttle for the return trip.

Bowdaar shrugged. "I was bored. It's been a boring six months. Only thing to do was drink and pick fights."

I chuckled. "You picked fights?" I asked, taking a seat.

"No, most of the time it was drunk humans trying to pick fights with me. Why they think they have any chance against me, I do not know."

"You didn't kill anyone, did you?'

"No." He grumbled. "Only a few minor injuries. Killing any of them was beneath me. There would have been no honor or challenge in it."

I settled into the seat as the shuttle took off. "So, Corso's gone?" I already knew the answer, but I needed to ask, anyway. I needed to know before I got to the ship and I knew Bowdaar wouldn't sugar coat the news.

"He is gone." Bowdaar barked sadly. "He is a coward for leaving while you were gone. I would rip off his arms, if he were here now."

The reaction was exactly what I had expected from him. He believed in honor and taking all promises and vows seriously. I was guessing he considered Corso's leaving me, breaking a promise he made the day we got married.

"Just promise me, if we ever do run into him again, you'll let me speak with him before you do any dismemberments."

"It will be difficult to do, but I will honor what you ask and attempt to restrain myself."

"I appreciate that." I replied, settling into my seat. It was going to feel good to get back to work. All this Jedi training was exhausting.

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I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I walked through the airlock and onto The Blade's Edge. My ship was an older model corellian light freighter. It was fast, sturdy, full of secret compartments and very good in a fight. In other words, a perfect smuggling ship. It was home and it felt damn good to be back.

Bowdaar followed me, sealing the door and locking up the ship behind me. It was going to feel so good to get back into space. I had spent too much time on the ground.

"Welcome back, Captain." Risha said, coming round the corner.

"The ship looks great, Risha. Have any trouble while I was gone?" I asked, walking down the hall with Risha stepping in line with me. I wondered how long it would take for her to mention Corso.

"Nothing worth noting. The ship was the least of my worries. Between keeping Bowdaar and Akaavi from picking fights and keeping Guss from getting beaten up in them, I had my hands full, but it was nothing I couldn't handle."

"Thanks for handling it for me. Make sure I give you a raise. I know I should have been there, but what I did over the last few months was important." I turned and addressed her fully. "Thanks for taking care of everything and everyone."

Risha waved it off. "It was an interesting change of pace, though it did give me a new perspective on wanting children." She paused and sighed. "I'm sorry, about Corso."

There it was. I shook my head. "Not your fault. You had your hands full as it was, I didn't need you to help fix my failing marriage. Corso was determined to leave, there was nothing you could have done to make him stay. I wouldn't have wanted you to, anyway. I wouldn't want anyone making him stay somewhere he didn't want to be." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for the concern, but I'll be alright."

"Actually, I have a suggestion which might help you move on from this. You do know the best way to get over a lover is to take another. I was thinking you might want to blow off some steam. I'm sure you didn't get any action while on Tython, unless the Jedi are more ambitious than they let on."

I chuckled at Risha's suggestion. It did feel good to be home. I had missed Risha's blunt honesty. Jedi were honest, but too diplomatic for my tastes. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"Sure you are. I even have a place in mind. And a person. You remember Numen Brock?"

"Balmorra? This has nothing to do with that Resistance fighter you met the last time we were there, I'm sure." I replied.

Risha shrugged. "No reason we both can't let out some pent up energy. A girl has needs that can't be filled by starship repair alone."

Numen Brock was a fellow smuggler, turned Republic privateer, who was currently helping the Resistance on Balmorra. We had hooked up during my last trip there, allowing me to learn why Twi'lek were so often used in the sex slave business. Brock had been, by far, the best lover I had ever been with, though I never told Croso that. He didn't need the blow to his ego.

I stopped outside the cockpit. "We don't even know if either of them are still alive, let alone still on Balmorra. Balmorra Isn't exactly the most peaceful of locations."

Risha just smiled at me.

"You've already been in contact, haven't you?"

"Not only is he still on Balmorra, but he's excited to see you again. Obviously, you made just as much of an impression on him as he did on you. Come on Captain, you said he was the best you ever had. It's perfect. No better way to officially get over...you know who."

I sighed, thinking. Risha meant well and I had to admit, the time on Tython had left me slightly frustrated. "Fine, stop playing pimp and set a course for Balmorra."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Next chapter up. Thanks so much for reading.

* * *

**Rio Drucos POV**

I paced back and forth in the safehouse on Rishi, waiting for Theron to return from his scouting mission. I don't like waiting, but there was very little else to do, at the moment. As a soldier, I was accustomed to it, of course, but that didn't mean that I liked it.

We had been on the planet for nearly a month, trying to uncover Revan. My squad and I, disguised has a rival pirate gang, had been causing trouble left and right for the Nova Blades, slowly laying the groundwork for a bigger infiltration. We knew for certain that the pirate gang was working for Revan and we were mere days from hitting their base of operation, when we ran into one small snag...supplies. It wasn't anything exotic, but even basics weren't easy to get, when you eliminate the official channels. Theron had gone out to look into a local resource.

"Well, that was a bust." Theron said, walking in with Jakarro close behind. "You'd think a planet full of pirates would offer better options for your basic surveillance and munition needs. As it is, we can't really get what we need without revealing too much of our hand to the locals. At least not quickly. We'll need to hit the Nova Blades base of operation within the week."

"My contacts could help, but they're just as likely to turn me in or kill me, than help me." Jakarro barked in his wookie language.

Lana stood to the side, being very quiet. She often did that when she was thinking or feeling through the Force. "We can probably make due with what we have. It wouldn't be the first time, but we're at a critical point. If we can get into the Nova Blade's files, we might actually make some headway. I'd hate to take the chance."

I sighed. We had no other choice. "I have someone who will probably be able to help. Can you get me a fully secured line?"

"You have to ask?" Theron said, working on the console.

Once it was set, I dialed an all too familiar number, hoping to catch her awake and able to talk.

At first, we got no answer, but then a very grumpy looking face appeared on the holo. "Rio, that you?"

"Hey, Nikka. I'm not catching you at a bad time, am I? Are you alone?" I asked. It looked like I had woken her up.

Nikka seemed to look over her shoulder, then back at the holo. "Alone enough. You wouldn't be calling if it wasn't important. What do you need? I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"I'm sending a list over now." I send the list over the holo and waiting while Nikka looked it over. "I need everything on the list as quickly as possible."

I could see the confusion on Nikka's face through the holo. "This is all standard stuff. You could probably get it all through the military. And you're Havoc, you get priority on the basics. Why ask me?"

"My current mission is a bit...off the books...I guess you could say."

Nikka put a hand up. "Don't wanna know." She looked back down at the list again. "Where will I be taking this? Where are you?"

"Coordinates at the bottom of the list. We can arrange a specific spot, once you get here."

Nikka's eyes widened. "What in the hell are you doing on that planet? I'm the criminal, ya know. You are the respected law abiding soldier. That is how it's supposed to work."

"Well…" I began to explain.

"Ya know what?" She interrupted with a sigh. "Again, I don't want to know. I should be able to get everything on your list in a day, maybe less. It'll take a day to get to you. Two, maybe two and a half days alright?" Nikka asked.

"Perfect. Thanks for doing this, Nikka. I wouldn't be asking if it weren't important."

She sighed. "Ya, I know. We don't do social calls. Just be careful. You're not cut out for illegal work. You really need to leave the underworld to me."

I laughed. "I'll do my best. See ya in a few."

"Yep."

The holo went dead.

"I didn't know Havoc had their own on demand smuggler." Theron said, sounding impressed.

"They don't. I do. Nikka's my baby sister." I shrugged. "I went legitimate and she didn't. She's never been much of a rule follower, though you'd be hard pressed to find anything against her. She's good at her job. I've used her a few times when official channels didn't work out. In my experience, she can get her hands on just about anything, legal or illegal."

"Let's hope so, Major." Lana replied. "We can't wait any more than three days. Four at the most."

"She'll be here." I reassured them. My sister may live on the very edge of the law, but she was reliable and has never let me down.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I groaned, leaning back. We'd only been on Balmorra for two days and I wasn't ready to leave yet. I could hear Numen in the shower, thankful my brother had called when he did. A half hour earlier and he would have interrupted something. I wasn't ready to discuss business in front of my booty call.

Risha had been right about getting over a lover with another lover. Fortunately, Numen was looking for exactly what I was, a good time. We were both smugglers at heart. We lived the same lifestyle and were looking for the same thing when we hooked up.

Numen came out of the shower, wearing only a towel. I had to stop and marvel at just how breathtaking he looked nude, with little beads of water running down his perfectly sculpted chest.

"Business?" He asked, obviously hearing the holo beep while he was in the shower.

I sighed, not looking away. "Isn't it always. Hold on just a sec, you're making it really hard for me to think." I held up the holo, dialing the ship. Bowdaar growled a greeting.

"Hey, big guy. I'm sending along a list and a set of coordinates. We need to get everything and be at those coordinates in two days."

There was a slight pause as Bowdaar looked over the list.

"Not a problem." He growled.

"Perfect. Gather up the rest of the crew. Tell them we'll be leaving in an hour."

Numen smirked, dropping the towel covering him from the waist down.

"Cheater." I whispered, glaring at him.

He stood there, almost posing, with a smirk on his face. There was nothing worse than a good looking man, who knew how good looking he was.

"Make that two hours, Bowdaar. I'll see ya at the ship." I shut down the holo without waiting for a response.

"You don't play fair." I said to Numen.

"Of course not." He replied, climbing back into the bed, hovering over me. "What fun is there in playing fair? Besides, we have at least an hour and a half. I'm sure you can think of an appropriate punishment."

Thank you Risha. I was beginning to find it easy to forget about...whatever his name.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

**Nikka POV**

It only took a few hours to get everything on Rio's list from the local vendors on Balmorra. By the time I had managed to extract myself from Numen, Bowdaar had collected everything we needed. All that was left to do was travel to Rishi. My wookie friend might not have been a smuggler by trade, but he was pretty good at the work.

Risha was waiting by the ramp of the ship when I arrived. She didn't look happy.

"I'm sorry. I'm not happy about this either, but this is my brother we're talking about. I sensed a certain urgency to his request. Rio's the only blood relative I have left. I feel an obligation towards him."

Risha's eyes softened a little. "Yeah, I get the whole family thing. It was just really poorly timed." She shrugged. "I got a few good hours in, I guess. We'll just need to make another run to this planet soon. I'm assuming you feel a little better now."

I smiled at my friend. "Yes, much better. You are a very wise person, Risha, and I was a fool for questioning your logic. Some time with Numen was exactly what I needed."

"See, I was right about the upgrades to the ship and about this. You need to listen to me more. You can be a tad stubborn at times, ya know. Sometimes it feels like you disagree with me, just to give me a hard time."

I shrugged. "Well, you're about to get a chance to meet my brother. You want to hear about my stubborn side, you can ask him. I'm sure he'll have lots to tell you. I've been giving him a hard time since the day I was born." I could see a certain look in Risha's eyes. "And don't even think about trying anything with him. He's happily married. Or at least was, the last time we actually spoke."

"Wouldn't even dream of it, Captain. Besides, Republic soldiers aren't my type, no matter how handsome. Shall we be off?" She asked.

"Make sure everyone's on board and ready, then get us on our way. I'd hate to leave Guss behind again. We haven't been to Rishi in months. Who knows, maybe we'll find something interesting to do while we're there. Business is almost always interesting when dealing with pirates."

"One can only hope." Risha said, turning to follow my orders.

I went to my room and took a seat at my desk. What in the hell was my brother doing on Rishi. That was not the place for a respectable soldier and probably the last place I would expect to have a meeting with him. I had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

We landed several hours before we had planned to meet up with my brother. I wanted to get a chance to scope out the area. I trusted Rio, I really did, but something wasn't right. I was beginning to wonder if being more insightful with the Force was a good thing. I really didn't like all this paranoia.

Most of my crew wandered off, left to their own devices. I was mildly concerned about Guss, but Akaavi assured me she'd keep an eye on him. She wasn't overly pleased with being on Rishi and determined that playing babysitter to our Mon Calamari was better than any other options. For some reason, my mandalorian did not like pirates. I made a mental note to ask her about it someday.

Bowdaar insisted on staying with me, even though I explained to him that we were meeting with my older brother and there would be no danger to me. The big guy had been sticking close to me since I'd returned from Tython. He was overly clingy even before Corso left, but now it seemed it was nearly impossible to convince him to stay behind when it came to making drop offs.

An hour or so later, Rio arrived. He had Elara with him, which didn't surprise me. It was nice to know some people's marriages were still intact. He also had another man with him I didn't know. He was medium build, medium height, with brown hair and green eyes. He was attractive, but not strikingly so and the only memorable features he had were cranial implants over his left eye. Honestly, implants were becoming more and more prevalent, so simply having them wasn't overly memorable, either. All of this shouted spy.

I walked right up to Rio and hugged him. He was several inches taller than me and was built like you'd expect a career soldier, muscled and solid. I was far from out of shape, but I didn't have any kind of workout regimen. My fitness was from the everyday life of a smuggler/criminal. His was from training. We did have the same dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, though his hair was cut military short, while I kept mine long, so I could throw it into a ponytail and move on. It was odd to see him wearing civilian clothing, though.

"Been a long time, Rio." I said, using the nickname I gave him as a kid. I almost never called him by his full first name, Korrio.

Rio chuckled. "Much too long."

"Hi Elara. Still with this big lug, I see." I said, hugging her. She didn't shy away from me the way she usually did. I liked to hug her just for the reaction. She was, very much, not a hugger. She had too much Imperial in her for such things, but I had to admit, she was getting better.

"Someone needs to keep him alive." She said.

"And this is Theron Shan." Rio introduced. "Theron, this is my sister, Nikka."

Shan? As in the Jedi grandmaster? I wondered if there were any relation. There was no real physical resemblance and Shan wasn't an uncommon name. I decided it was better not to ask. Having the same last name as the grandmaster of the Jedi, the poor guy was probably tired of being asked the question, relation or no.

"Let me guess, you're a spy." I said. "Either Republic SIS or Imperial Intelligence. I'd say SIS, by the way you're carrying yourself and how you're dressed. You'd have no reason to hide what you are around anyone here, as far as I know."

"Good guess. I didn't know I was that obvious." Shan replied.

I shrugged. "You're not. I'm just more observant than most. It's a survival trait you develop in my chosen profession. Anyway, I got everything on your list. It was easy, considering everything on there was perfectly legal and easily obtainable."

"Yeah, our request was more about speed of delivery, than rarity of cargo. We're on a bit of a time crunch." Rio said. "Our standard rate okay, or do you need more for the rush job?"

"It's on the house." I said, holding up my hand. "And I don't want to know details, remember? Whatever you've gotten yourself into on this Force forsaken planet is none of my business." I turned to Bowdaar. "Go ahead and get everything unloaded for them."

"I'll give him a hand." Shan said, following Bowdaar into the ship. Elara also followed, leaving my brother and I alone.

"Where's Corso? You two are usually joined at the hip." Rio asked.

I looked down at the ground and sighed. I figured he'd ask about Corso's absence. "Corso decided he didn't want to be married to me anymore."

Rio looked shocked. "How in the hell did that happen? The last time I saw you, he would have taken a blaster bolt for you."

"It's a long story. One I have no desire to hash out right now. We'll talk about it later, when it's all not so fresh." I looked up into my brother's fairly emotionless stare. "I can see the wheels turning in your head. Don't even think about going after him. He left and I'm not about to try to force anyone to stay somewhere they don't want to be. I'm fine."

Rio just continued looking at me.

"Seriously, I'm fine. Things worked out the way they were meant to."

"Fine. But if I ever run into him, I can't promise anything."

I laughed. "Get in line behind Bowdaar. He's determined to rip off limbs if we run into him again. He considers Corso's leaving breaking a vow. Wookies take that kind of stuff very seriously."

"That makes me feel a little better. Is that bad?" Rio asked.

"I love you too, Rio. Don't worry about me. You obviously have other things to worry about. Far more important things."

There was a pause, Rio looked at me like he remembered something vital. "Wait, when I called you to ask about this list, you sounded like you weren't alone. If you weren't with Corso…"

"What? Did you think I'd take a vow of celibacy because I'm not married anymore? I happened to be with an old acquaintance of mine. And, on a side note, if you ever get the chance to have sex with a Twi'lek, go for it. There's a reason their species is used most often in the sex slave trade."

Rio gave me a horrified look of disgust. "Why in the hell would you tell me that? I don't want to hear about your sexlife!"

I grinned broadly. "Just to see that look on your face. Next time, don't ask the question, if you can't handle the answer. I have missed you."

Rio simply rolled his eyes and headed towards the ship.

We got the cargo unloaded fairly quickly and, as much as he seemed to want to catch up with me, Rio's mission, whatever it was, had to come first. I understood, making the usual statement of how we'd get together again soon. Rio was important. It was hard to pin him down for more than an hour or two.

Soon usually meant years, but with our chosen career paths, years was the best we could hope for. Since I left the topic of Corso hanging, I could probably expect a call from Rio sooner, rather than later. Once his mission was over, Rio was sure to move into big brother mode fairly quickly.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

New chapter up. Enjoy.

* * *

I groaned as my personal holo began to beep. Why in the hell did I always get calls while I was trying to sleep. True, I didn't exactly carry a regular schedule, but still. I had the worst luck when it came to catching up on sleep.

I reached over to the stand next to my bed and looked at the number for the incoming call. It was Rio's number. With a sigh, I answered the call, but instead of seeing my brother's face, another face came up. It was one I remembered, but didn't think I'd run into again.

"Theron Shan." I said, getting to a seated position. I didn't bother with turning on the lights. He didn't need to see me clearly. "Care to tell me why you're using my brother's holo frequency?"

He shrugged. "I didn't know if you'd answer if you didn't recognize the number. It's good to know you remember me, though. It's been awhile since Rishi."

"Fair enough, but don't make a habit of it. What do you want?" I asked, trying to wake up enough to actually remember this conversation. I was definitely going to have a slight hangover from the night before. I should have known better than to try to keep up with Akaavi and Bowdaar. I was almost positive I was still slightly drunk.

"I need you to help smuggle something into Sobrik." He said.

That sobered me up.

"What in the hell do you need smuggled into an Imperial controlled city on Balmorra?" I asked, confused as to why an SIS Agent was even contacting me. Yes, I did some privateer work for the Republic, on occasion, but it usually didn't involved working with, or for, official departments of the faction. My jobs usually were things they needed to be done quietly by someone outside the main system, so if I got caught, the important people could claim ignorance.

"It's not so much a what, as a who. Can you get into Sobrik or not?" He asked, sounding a little irritated.

"Yes, I can land in Sobrik easily." I didn't tell him that I sometimes did work for the Empire in Sobrik, too. Nothing that would be considered treasonous, just the occasional medical and basic supply run, usually to civilians or personal acquaintances. I did it mostly to keep up my connections on Imperial run planets. Life was much easier when you didn't burn every bridge you came across. Being patriotic was bad business and had a way of closing doors. I liked my doors wide open.

Yes, it was technically playing both sides, but it was a profitable risk. Though I was more careful when dealing with the Empire. A privateer gets caught where they don't belong with the Republic, they cut you out. Get caught doing the same thing to the Empire, and they cut you down. That was all I needed, a Sith on my ass. Even with some basic Jedi training under my belt, I was still no match for a Sith in a fair fight and Sith weren't known for fighting fair.

Shan nodded. "That's all I need. You just need to land and wait with the ship until I get back. Easy. The mission itself doesn't matter."

I snorted. "Things are never that easy, you should know that. Is there any chance this mission of yours will mess up my landing privileges with Sobrik?"

Shan seemed to think about it for a moment. "Possible, if we don't get away fast enough. There's always a risk."

I sat quietly for a moment. I hated to potentially mess up my current situation on Balmorra, but if I were being honest, my reputation on the planet leaned fairly heavily on the Republic and resistance side. Losing my landing access to Sobrik wouldn't be the end of the world. The question was, was I willing to give it up for a SIS spook?

"Name your price and we'll pay." Shan added, seeming to sense my hesitation. I was glad he understood that credits always made decisions easier.

"Fine. You're just lucky you're a friend of Rio's. You're still going to pay a pretty credit for my services, though."

"Not a problem. I'll meet you on Nar Shaddaa in four days. We can head to Balmorra from there once we settle up on terms."

I shrugged. "Whatever, it's your time and money."

The holo call ended and I sat quietly for a moment. I honestly didn't want to know what Agent Shan was up to. Nothing I'd care about, for sure, but it had to be important for the Republic to offer an open ended fee to a freelancer.

At least this was bound to be profitable.

* * *

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8

New chapter up. Thanks for reading. I plan to get this one updated more often, since this one is finished.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I loved Nar Shaddaa. The energy of the Smuggler's Moon had always been alluring to me. I loved the crowds of people, the rampant crime, the dark alleyways for making deals. I loved it all. I was in my element. Being comfortable on Nar Shaddaa didn't say much for me as a person, but I rolled with it.

Bowdaar and I walked into the cantina on the promenade Shan had chosen as our meeting spot. We were an hour early, but I wanted to get at least one good drink in me before I spoke to him. We found a table near the back, skimming the place to ensure he hadn't arrived early, then took a seat. Bowdaar went to the bar and got us drinks, while I carefully examined the area.

I casually looked over to the far right of the cantina, where Akaavi sat quietly, nursing a drink. This place was known for its diverse clientele, so the zabrak didn't stick out at all. She had volunteered to play spy, keeping an eye out while we met with Agent Shan. Mandalorians weren't normally known for their undercover work, but Akaavi had started to pick up a few new skills since joining my crew. She looked odd to me, dressed more like a smuggler than a warrior, but she would look like she belonged in this cantina to anyone else. More importantly, she didn't look like the type who would know me or mine. Having a diverse crew came in handy, on occasion.

The establishment was only moderately full, though it was early. This particular cantina usually didn't start hopping until well into the night. No one looked shadier than usual and we were pretty much being ignored. Perfect. My Force senses weren't picking up anything out of the ordinary, either. I was getting good at picking out ill intentions from a group this size.

Bowdaar and I were both two drinks in when Shan arrived. He looked exactly as I remembered him, totally nondescript and dressed like he belonged in a dirty cantina on a moon full of criminals. He saw us, but stopped at the bar for a drink before heading to our table.

"It looks like you started without me." He said casually, taking a seat across from me. To anyone watching, we just looked like three folks meeting up for a drink. Not that it mattered in a place like this one. Deals were made on an hourly basis here and wise people didn't stick their noses into someone else's business, if they knew what was good for them.

I shrugged. "We got here early, had to do something while we waited. How's business?"

"Good as can be expected. All you need to do is name your terms."

I nodded. I had thought about that. I had a standard fee for this type of job, but I was planning on charging Shan a bit more. The SIS could afford it.

"Ten thousand credits. All in advance." I said quietly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's a little steep for a job like this." Shan replied.

"Yes, but you're asking me to land my ship and hold it in potentially hostile territory, while you go out and do whatever it is you do. Call it hazard pay and a fee for using my brother's holo frequency. I'm assuming without his permission."

Shan sighed, looking like he wanted to negotiate my terms, but was reluctant to do so. "Fair enough. Done. I'll get the credits to you before we take off."

"Then we have a deal." I handed him a datapad. "This is where to transfer the funds. My ship is in hanger 29B. The Blade's Edge. We'll leave when you're ready."

Bowdaar and I left the SIS agent to finish his drink alone and headed back to the ship. I had a bad feeling about this, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. Akaavi was staying behind until Shan left. I was interested to see what he did after our departure.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

New chapter up. Thanks for reading.

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**Nikka POV**

I was in the galley, maintaining the buzz I had started in the cantina, when Akaavi returned to the ship two and a half hours later. If she had been drinking the entire time she waited around in the cantina, you couldn't tell. Mandalorians could hold their drink like very few others, regardless of species. I knew better than to go drink for drink with her.

"He stayed for about a half hour after you left, finished his drink and left. He was nowhere to be seen outside the cantina when I departed." She reported.

"Perfect. Thanks for doing this for me, Akaavi. I'll make a smuggler out of you yet."

She frowned at me, scowling more than normal.

"That was meant as a compliment."

"If you say so."

With a nod, she left the galley. I had to chuckle. You could dress her to look like a smuggler and plant her somewhere and no one would be the wiser, but her interactions were pure mandalorian. Probably always would be.

Risha came into the galley and sat down across from me. "I see Akaavi's back. Do you think the spook knew he was being watched?"

I shrugged. "He's a spy, so most likely. We'll probably never know for sure if he made her, but I'd guess he was expecting us to have someone in the cantina watching our backs. I'm not overly worried about it."

"He's certainly fairly low risk clientele, that's for sure. Any idea why we're going to Sobrik?"

"I didn't ask. Don't really care, as long as he pays."

"If it goes south, we'll probably lose our clearance." She reminded me.

I nodded. "Yeah, I know. It's a risk, but honestly, how much business do we really do with the Empire in Sobrik anyway? Losing our clearance wouldn't be the end of the world and I doubt it would impact any other Imperial dealings. We'll display a false ship ID, just to be safe, of course."

"We do tend to lean fairly heavily towards the resistance side of things when we're on Balmora anyway. Just as long has this spook doesn't get us killed."

"He's worked with my brother in the past, which means he's probably fairly good at his job. Let's hope so, anyway. If he causes too much of a problem, we always have the option of just throwing him out the airlock." I joked, downing the last of the drink I had been nursing since arriving back at the ship. "If nothing else, this should be entertaining."

"You're intuition tingling?" Risha asked. She had gotten to referring to my Force abilities as my intuition, just as Corso had. It reminded me of Corso, and the memory stung a little, but I liked that she didn't call it what it was, since the only people who knew about my gifts were my crew, my brother and the Jedi on Tython. I wanted to keep it that way. My advantage would stop being much of an advantage if it were to become common knowledge.

"Yeah, it seems to always tingle around this particular spook. It did on Rishi, too. Not sure why." I thought for a minute, then smiled at Risha. "Feel like playing hacker?"

"Always, what do you need?" She asked. She always liked to exercise her slicing abilities. She'd only dabbled here and there before coming aboard, but she'd been stretching her legs in the area, as of late. Slicing skills always came in handy.

"Our new agent friend's last name is Shan. Do you think you can dig up some history about him? Particularly if he has any relation to the Jedi grandmaster. That might explain why he seems to stimulate my intuition."

"Dig up dirt on an SIS agent? Piece of cake. It'll be a nice change of pace from engine repair."

I could tell Risha appreciated my assignment. She didn't like sitting idle and she always did like a challenge. Slicing into a SIS secure file, while said SIS agent was on board, would be a good challenge.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Here's another one for ya. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I stood outside the ramp of my ship as Agent Shan approached.

It was damn near morning and I was none too pleased about waiting for my client to arrive. When I take a job, I was normally not concerned about the timetable of the client. It was their credits, if they wanted to run behind, it wasn't my concern. I'd just charge them more for my wait. For some reason, this SIS Agent rubbed me the wrong way. Not to mention I hadn't slept much, in anticipation of departing. I had planned to sleep on the way the Balmorra.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind on our deal." I said when he was within earshot. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the ship. I was hoping he could sense my irritation.

"Yeah, sorry about that. My resources weren't working as fast as expected. Everything is lined up now. We should be good to go. I've already transferred your credits into your account."

I growled internally. I sensed he was being sincere with his apology, which means I really had no reason to be genuinely mad at him. Sometimes being Force sensitive sucked.

"That's fine. Let's just get moving. I had been expecting to leave a long time ago, but whatever you need."

Once we were both onboard, I retracted the ramp and sealed the door. I hit the button next to it, calling the cockpit. "Take us out, Bowdaar."

"Should be about a day before we get there." I said to my guest.

"All I need's a place to sleep. I've been up for three days getting ready for this mission. All I can do now is physically prepare myself and stim implants only go so far."

I snorted. "Must be nice. I have to rely on sugar and caf." I escorted him down the aisle until we reached the crew bunks. "Any of the bunks on the right you can use. The galley is further down on the left. Help yourself to anything in there."

"I wouldn't mind a drink." He said, following me down the aisle after depositing a bag on one of the empty bunks. The galley was empty, most of the crew were either asleep or up front flying the ship. I opened up the liquor cabinet.

Shan whistled. "Not a bad selection. How'd you get the mandalorian stuff? It's hard to comeby in the Republic."

I shrugged. "I do work all over the galaxy and I'm a smuggler by trade, as you well know. I can get anything. It also helps having a mandalorian on my crew. She won't touch anything that wasn't made by her own people. Says anything else is like drinking water."

Shan chuckled. "I can understand why anything else pales by comparison. Most mandalorian booze will practically eat away your stomach lining."

"I try not to spill it, so it doesn't burn a hole through the hull. I'm guessing you don't want any Kri'gee?" I asked, pouring Shan a brandy and one for myself. "It's definitely an acquired taste. I've learned to hold it fairly well over the years, but I'll never get into a drinking contest with Akaavi. I'd drink myself into an early grave before she even got tipsy."

As we sat, sipping our drinks in silence, Akaavi walked by, causing Agent Shan to chuckle.

"So, you did have a plant in the cantina. I was wondering, though I didn't see anyone who stuck out to me. Now I know why. I saw the zabrak, but didn't even think she might be yours."

I smiled at him. "That's the point, wasn't it? To have back up. Don't be offended. You may have worked with my brother in the past, but I don't know you. Better safe than sorry, in my book."

"I get it. I'm just kinda mad at myself that I didn't make her. I guess I wasn't expecting you to have such a diverse crew. Glad it didn't turn out to be a fatal mistake on my part. Mandalorians aren't known for their peaceful resolutions to conflict."

I shrugged. "You never know, you could still die on this run. You're assuming I'm a decent person, probably on the word of my brother." I gave him a big smile, feeling him out with the Force. He was being honest with me so far. Fortunately, he was responding to my gentle ribbing exactly as I would expect. Of course, that could be the result of his SIS training. I wasn't sure if training could outsmart the Force.

He threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, I'll be on my best behavior. You have more than enough muscle on this ship to take me out."

I laughed. "I'm just messin' with ya." I downed what was left in my glass. "I'm gonna go check on our course, then head to bed. I stayed up all night waiting on you. Sleep well."

Agent Shan nodded.

I walk to the cockpit, finding Risha sitting in the pilot's chair. She was pouring over one of the computer consoles, deep in thought.

"Everything look good, Risha?" I asked.

She didn't respond right away. "What? Oh, hey Captain. Yeah, everything's good. I checked, he paid in full. I sent Bowdaar to go get some slept. All we need is a cranky, sleep deprived wookie wandering around. I've been working on that research project you assigned me."

I sat in the copilot's chair and turned to face her. "Anything interesting?"

"Not a damn thing. Your record is clean, but his is almost nonexistent. No birth notice, no record of parentage, nothing outside of his career and there is very little information to be had about that, either. As far as I can tell, he didn't exist before the age of 20 and almost everything after that is classified and will take time to crack into."

I sighed, lowering my voice. "Interesting. If there is any relation, I'm guessing it's been kept secret for the sake of the grandmaster. She can't have it getting out that she's a hypocrite. Assuming there is any relation. Maybe he's the son of a sister or some such thing."

"Looks like if you want to find out for sure, Cap, you'll need to ask him yourself. I don't think I'll find any computer records or evidence. It's my experience the Jedi like to conveniently erase anything that makes them look bad." Risha said, standing. "Anyway, I'm off to bed. I'd recommend you turn on the cursed protocol droid to watch over things, and do the same. I have a bad feeling about Sobrik."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Just a little chapter in Risha's POV, to stir things up. Enjoy.

* * *

**Risha POV**

My bad feelings about Sobrik turned out to be right on the money. Who needs the Force?

We landed in Sobrik without incident. The captain kept the ship at a state of silent readiness, allowing us to be prepared to take off if things went bad, but for the Sobrik scanners to be none the wiser. This ship was specifically designed for it and the ability has come in handy on more than one occasion. Hazard of the work.

Agent Shan, dressed in his pilfered Imperial garb, headed into the spaceport without any trouble, and I had to admit, he looked the part. He walked with a confident, measured step and held himself in a way which screamed Imperial officer. It was obvious he had impersonated an Imperial officer before. Everything seemed to be going to plan. All we had to do was wait and monitor local channels, just in case.

About an hour later, our spook ran back into the docking bay, blaster out, followed by a dozen Imperial soldiers. "I wonder if that was a part of the plan?" I said, taking a seat in front of the console which contained weapons control.

"Swivel the guns around and take out those soldiers. Keep everyone at bay until he's onboard." Ordered Nikka, flipping the ship into quick standby mode.

I pointed the guns at the approaching soldiers, who heard them swivel in their direction and quickly took cover before I could start firing. At least they had some sense of self preservation. Sometimes, it was hard to tell with soldiers. The Empire didn't always seem to care who they slapped into a uniform and gave a blaster.

It took only a few seconds for Agent Shan to get onboard and for Bowdaar to indicate the outer door was closed. We took off before they could lockdown the spaceport, but we managed to take some minor damage as we fled the planet. Orbital cannons can be a bitch. If I had known things were going to go south, I would've made an effort to slice in and shut them down.

The captain seemed overly irritated by the whole situation, which was odd, considering she used to find blasting her way outta spaceports exciting. She left the cockpit and confronted Shan about what happened, once we were clear. He indicated the mission was a success, even with needing a daring escape.

They started arguing, at which point, I headed to the engine room to start repairs. If Nikka wanted to fight, I'd let her do it. I just didn't want to hear it.

* * *

About an hour later, I left the engine room to make sure no one had been killed or shoved out the airlock. What I found was Guss standing a few feet from the captain's quarters, looking confused and very uncomfortable.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, startling the poor guy. He was the jumpiest individual I have ever met. It was a good thing the captain had a soft spot for hard luck cases. It wasn't hard to see why Guss had failed as a Jedi. I'd never heard of a jumpy Jedi.

"Don't sneak up on my like that, Risha."

"I wasn't sneaking and you didn't answer my question." I replied, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning against the wall. We both turned when we heard muffled sounds coming from the captain's door.

"I was just walking by and heard that." Guss said.

I had to chuckle. Only the captain could take a full blown argument and turn it into sex. "We should not be standing out here. It's creepy. Leave the captain and her guest to themselves."

Without hesitation, Guss scooted off and I turned to return to the engine room, still chuckling.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Here's a short one for ya.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I wasn't entirely sure how we got to this point.

One minute Shan and I were yelling, causing my crew to scatter away from the fight and us to move to my quarters. I wasn't mad at him, not really, since I rather enjoyed daring escapes. Maybe it was my constant need to give everyone a hard time. For whatever reason, we only argued for a few minutes, then we started kissing. Apparently, we both found heated arguments a turn on.

Now I lay next to Theron, my head on his chest. It took about a half hour, but he had finally fallen asleep. It was easy to determine when someone was asleep, now that my Force sense was more sensitive to such things.

I reached out with the Force, flipping a switch on the control panel across the room. A small light next to it turned on, showing red. I waited about a minute for the light to turn green, then reach back out and flipped the switch back, turning the light off.

With a content sigh, I snuggled in closer to Theron and fell asleep.

* * *

We arrived on Nar Shaddaa shortly after waking up the next morning. We quickly said our goodbyes and Agent Shan headed off on his way. It was surprisingly casual and not awkward at all. I guessed we were both used to the occasional random hookup, considering our chosen careers. Smugglers and spies didn't have time for family or deeply committed relationships. My failed marriage was proof of that.

I closed the ramp and headed into the ship. Risha was standing by the engine room, smirking.

"Just don't." I said to her as I walked by.

Risha shrugged. "I didn't say anything."

I continued to walk away from her. "You didn't have to." I yelled down the hall. "Just get us on our way."

It would be seven months before I'd see Theron again. And that was when everything started to change.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I paused at the end of my ship's ramp, stretching, as we disembarked at the Republic Fleet fueling depot. I very rarely got fuel with either of the faction's fleets, but I was running on fumes and this was the closest and easiest place to get fuel, considering my current location. It also didn't hurt that I had just left Alderaan and had a case of a rare Alderaanian vintage the head of the Republic fueling depot loved so much. I should be able to get a good discount on my fuel.

My crew was fairly small, at the moment, since Risha had left to work on her never ending bid for the Dubrillion throne and Akaavi had left for a hunt with some of her fellow mandalorians. Guss and Bowdaar were still in the ship, but Bowdaar had agreed to stay and supervise the fueling and Guss was still asleep. He slept more than any one being I had ever met. No doubt he'd go find some kind of trouble to get into when he woke up. He enjoyed being among the Republic and they were usually friendly towards his species, so he'd probably be alright.

I, myself, was in desperate need of a drink, so the station cantina closest to the fueling depot was my destination. It had been a fairly boring few months, with most of my jobs being of the simple smuggling type. No heroic rescues or narrow escapes since the fiasco on Balmorra seven months earlier. I hadn't shot anyone or slept with someone in months, not that the Republic fleet was a good place to do either of those two activities.

All I was looking for was a quiet drink, in a place that wasn't my ship, before I headed back to catch up on my sleep. No matter how boring or exciting my life was at any given moment, I could never seem to get nearly enough sleep. It was like my brain emitted a frequency to the galaxy when I slept, subliminally telling people it was a good time to call me.

The cantinas on the Republic Fleet were never crowded, regardless of time of day. Even though their drinks weren't cheap, they didn't skimp on the alcohol, so I couldn't complain too much. At least I got what I was paying for. I ordered my drink, turning to scan the place for a desirable table. I happened to notice a familiar face sitting at a table in the far corner.

With a smirk, I paid for my drink and headed to the table.

"Been a while." I said, standing next to SIS agent Theron Shan. "Mind if I join you?"

The man looked a little dejected, but he nodded to the empty seat across from him. I could sense he was feeling the exact same as he looked.

"You seem a bit defeated, Theron." I commented as I took a seat.

He scoffed, taking a pull from a half empty glass of amber liquid. "You could say that, but it would be an understatement. I was canned by the SIS."

My eyes widened. I was under the impression that he was one of the best agents they had, though I certainly wasn't an expert on the affairs of the SIS. In fact, I liked to stay out of SIS business as much as possible. Getting on the bad side of a spy was bad for business, regardless of faction.

"It's a long story." He added.

I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Well, I got nowhere to be until my ship is fueled up. Try me."

* * *

**Nikka POV**

The incessant beeping of my holo woke me up, though I did the best I could to drown out the sound by pulling a pillow over my head, blocking the one ear that wasn't resting on Theron's chest. Whoever it was, they could leave a message.

Unfortunately, the holo kept beeping.

Finally, with an irritated growl and a quiet vow to shoot whoever was obviously too good to leave a message, I rolled out of bed, searching for my jacket. I was fairly sure my holo was in the left pocket. At least I hoped it was there, since I didn't want to turn on a light. If I had been on my own ship, my handheld holo would have connected through the ship and to my nightstand, but since I was on Theron's ship, I had to rely on my handheld comm.

A few seconds later, I found the device and returned to the bed, covering myself up before activating the holo.

"What?" I said, probably more aggressively than necessary, but I was now in a bad mood. Theron and I were both fairly intoxicated when we headed to his ship, having shared several drinks while discussing his woes, and I didn't like being woken up from a nice drunken stupor. Not to mention we'd only been asleep for an hour or so and I was almost positive I was still reasonably drunk.

"Thank the Force you're alright." Said the concerned voice of Rio as his face appeared.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" I asked, confused. I was no longer angry. As far as I knew, there was no reason for my brother to think I was in any type of danger. Theron had told me all about what happened on Ziost and how Rio had been on the planet for most of it. It made me wonder if those tragic events had anything to do with my brother's concern.

"Of course not, but I just didn't know if you were anywhere near Ziost. I know you've done business there in the past and some things are happening..."

"I'm docked at the Republic Fleet, at the moment. I'm fine, but the better question is, are you? You seem rattled." I didn't let on that I knew about Ziost.

"Is there any way you can meet me on Coruscant? I need to talk to you, in person." He asked. There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

It was an odd request, considering it didn't include a list of some item or another that he needed me to procure for him. Rio was not acting like himself and there had to be more to it than the events on Ziost. Neither one of us was the call to talk type and Rio was normally a rock. Nothing fazed him.

"No problem. Once I'm fueled, I'll head there."

Rio nodded. "Good. Good. You can come to my apartment. You remember where that is, right?"

"Sure, I'll see you soon."

With a final nod and smile, the holo turned off. I place my holo on the nightstand and sat quietly for a moment. I was almost startled when Theron spoke.

"That was odd." He said, rolling on his side to face me.

I laid back down, turning so I faced him, my head resting on my arm. "It was. Something has my brother truly rattled and I doubt it was just trama from Ziost. Nothing rattles him, not like this." I looked up at the timepiece on the wall, then back at Theron. "There's no way my ship is fueled up yet and I'm fairly sure I'm still drunk. Mind if I sleep off more of my buzz here, before I head back to my ship?"

Theron actually smiled. "You can stay as long as you want." He said, pulling me back over to him, so we were back in the position we were in before Rio's holo. "And thanks for helping me forget my troubles for a little while."

"Anytime." I cuddled close to him, hoping I was still drunk enough to fall back asleep, even though I was worried about Rio.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

New chapter up. Enjoy. Thanks for reading

* * *

**Nikka POV**

It was only a couple hours trip to Coruscant from the fleet, but it felt much, much longer. I did my best to distract myself with planning my next job, but after thirty minutes, I gave up and just sat in the cockpit, watching the starlines go by.

Rio had me worried. My brother was probably the strongest person I had ever known, both physically and mentally. He handled situations on a daily basis that would make most people run screaming, including me. Anything that had him rattled enough to want to see me urgently, scared me. We didn't see each other often, but we were still very close. He was the only blood relative I had, since our parents died in an accident when he was 18 and I was 16. Their death inspired him to become a soldier and inspired me to...well...head in a different direction.

My clearance into Coruscant took less time than normal. Most likely thanks to Rio. Once we were securely landed, I asked Bowdaar and Guss to hang tight before heading too far from the ship. I had no idea what was going to happen once I met with Rio, but I wanted to be able to make a quick exit, if needed. Probably not necessary, considering the planet, but my paranoia was more powerful than my comfort with the location.

When I arrived at Rio's apartment, the door opened before I could knock. Elara stepped out, almost colliding with me.

"Oh, Nikka, you're here." She said, stopping short of hitting me. Thank you soldier reflexes.

"It sounded urgent. Do you know what's going on?" I asked her quietly, so as not to alert Rio.

Elara looked behind her, pulling the door closed to just a crack. "I don't know. A great deal of bad things have happened, terrible things, but your brother has been more distant. And he won't talk to me."

I nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you. I'll be back later. He wanted to talk to you privately."

With a quick squeeze to the arms, Elara slipped out and I entered. The apartment was different from the last time I'd been there years ago. Of course, he hadn't met Elara yet and his place was very much a bachelor pad. The apartment now looked like a woman lived there, though the place was still minimal when it came to possessions and decor. It was the home of career soldiers and it showed.

I found Rio out on his balcony, leaning against the railing with a glass of clear liquid in his hands. He knew I was there, but he didn't turn around. I joined him at the railing and he looked over at me, a look of relief in his eyes. I could also sense his relief.

He turned to me and pulled me into a hug. It was tighter and lasted longer than was normal and I found it hard to breath.

"Constricting me just a little, sweety." I said, taking a deep breath when he released me.

"Sorry, Nikka, I'm just happy to see you."

"Yeah, I can tell. So, what's wrong. You sounded off on the holo and now that I'm here in person, I can sense it through the Force, too."

"That's actually part of my concern." He replied, escorting me back into the apartment, closing the door behind us. "Drink?"

I shook my head, eyeing the glass in his hand. "Let's talk first. How much have you had?"

Rio nodded, then headed into the living room, taking a seat in a large armchair and I sat on the couch. "This is my first. I'm not drunk."

He hesitated, but I was starting to get impatient. His worry was making me worried.

"Does this have anything to do with what happened on Ziost?" I asked.

He seemed surprised I knew about Ziost. "How much do you know?"

"I was on the Republic Fleet. I probably heard everything. A former Sith Emperor destroyed the planet?"

Rio sighed, taking a pull from his glass. "It wasn't destroyed. It was consumed. The Sith Emperor completely consumed every living thing on the planet, down to the smallest microbe. The whole planet is a totally dead wasteland."

My jaw dropped. Theron had said the Sith had destroyed all life on the planet, but the word 'consumed' made a much bigger impression. I had been on Ziost a number of times. It was similar to Nar Shaddaa in many ways, though the Imperial oppression prevented it from totally mimicking the Smugglers Moon. Needless to say, there was a lot of life on Ziost to consume. "By the Force! How much power does this former Sith have? Is that why you're so worried about me? You thought I might have been on the planet?"

"Only partially." He said. "The Emperor made special note of my presence. He wanted me there and he specifically waited until I was offworld before killing everything. For some reason, he's taken an interest in me."

I continued to look at my brother, confused.

"I'm not Force sensitive, so I have no idea why he's interested in me, unless..."

My jaw dropped again. "You think he's after me?"

Rio nodded. "I think it's possible."

I stood, pacing the room. "But how could he know about me? I'm not even that powerful. Certainly not Jedi or Sith powerful. Not to mention only a small handful of people even know about my gifts."

"Nikka...this disembodied Sith is...beyond powerful. Beyond anything I even imagined could exist. His interest in me might have nothing to do with you, but if there is even the remotest chance…" He stood, standing in my path. "You're the only family I have left. I can't lose you. Not to something like him."

I took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then letting it out slowly. "I'll consult with the Jedi on Tython and see what I can do to protect myself, or at the very least, give myself some warning." I looked at my brother in eye. "You are not going to lose me. I will take measures to protect myself, just as long as you snap out of this and get back to yourself. I don't want to lose you, either."

"You'll contact Tython?" He asked, sounding relieved.

"I'll call Grandmaster Satele herself. I'm her former padawan. She'll know what I can do to help ease your concerns."

I could sense Rio relax and the whole room seemed to deflate and become calm.

I sat on the couch and pulled Rio down with me. "Don't worry about me, Rio. If there's one thing I am, for sure, it's a survivor. I don't live a safe, secure life. You know that, even if you pretend otherwise. I can take care of myself."

"I sometimes wish you'd hang up the criminal part, but I know. You're tough and maybe I'm overreacting, but you didn't witness what I saw on Ziost. No one can take care of themselves, not against...that."

"No, from what I've heard and from what you just told me, you are not overreacting. You just need to be reminded of how I live. I'll be careful, and remember, I'm not alone. I have some powerful friends. I have no idea what this psycho Sith wants with you, but he's not going to get it. You'll find a way to kick his ass."

Rio laughed. "Your confidence in me is reassuring."

"Well, good. Now, if you don't mind, I'll have that drink. You had me more worried than a broke hutt. I need something to settle my nerves."

Rio got up to get my drink and I let my reassuring smile slip for a moment. I had a bad feeling about all this, but he didn't need the burden.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

New chapter up.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I returned to my ship a few hours later, having turned down an offer to stay at my brother's apartment. I needed to make a holo call and think. I promised to return the next day for lunch, before I headed back out.

Considering we were staying on planet for at least another day, Bowdaar and Guss both headed out. This was Coruscant, so I wasn't overly concerned about either of them getting into trouble and their departure allowed me to make contact with the Jedi in total privacy. My crew didn't need to worry about my brother's concerns unless they became justified.

I stood in front of the main holoterminal. I never thought I'd be calling Tython or talking with Master Satele again. I had gotten what I planned to get from my training and had little interest in interacting with the Jedi, but this situation was different. I needed advice and the masters on Tython were the only people capable of giving it to me.

I placed the call and only had to wait a few seconds before Master Satele answered. I could tell from the look on her face, she wasn't surprised by my call.

"Ah, Nikka. I was wondering if I'd hear from you." she said calmly.

"I'm guessing you heard about Ziost?" I asked.

Satele nodded. "Yes. And felt it."

My jaw dropped for a third time that day. She felt the planet die? I had never been so thankful in my life that I wasn't overly powerful in the Force. I never wanted to feel a planet die.

"Did you know my brother was on Ziost, right before it was consumed? He spoke with the Emperor."

Satele nodded. "I heard."

"Well, he's concerned as to why the Emperor seems to have taken an interest in him. He's not Force sensitive at all. He told me he's concerned the interest in him, might be a subtle interest in me. I'm not powerful enough for any Sith to bother with, but he's worried." I looked down at my hands nervously for a moment, then looked back up. "Do you think he has a reason to be worried?"

Satele thought about it for a moment. "There is no way to be sure. This particular former Sith is beyond anything the Jedi have ever witnessed before. His motives are elusive and, for the moment, his own. Even if there is a slight chance his attention will turn your way, you must stay vigilant."

"I was hoping you could give me some advice on the matter. What should I do?" I asked, trying very hard not to sound as freaked out as I actually was, at the moment. I had thought my brother was being paranoid and overprotective, but Satele's comments made me think twice. This whole situation had her rattled a bit, too, but she was hiding it very well. Knowing the two must solid people I knew were this shook up by recent events did nothing to calm my concerns.

"Remember your training and keep your senses open. You will know if the Emperor is near. His presence is unmistakable to anyone with Force sensitivity, even if you've never sensed him before. If you do happen to run into him, my best advice would be to try to keep your distance as much as you can and contact the Jedi council as soon as possible."

I nodded, though I wasn't overly happy with the advice. Turn, run and call mom and dad. I was kind of hoping for more. "How much of a threat is this Sith?"

Satele looked worried, the fine lines around her eyes just a tad more noticeable, making her look a little more her age. "More than any other faced before by the Jedi, but we will not know just how much until he reveals his true plans."

"Wow, that's ominous. I thank you for the advice and I can honestly say, I really hope I don't need to call you again."

Master Satele bowed to me slightly. "Take care of yourself, Nikka, and may the Force be with you."

I bowed back and the holo turned off.

"Should I be worried?" A voice said from behind me.

Instinctively, I pulled my blaster and spun around. Risha threw up her hands.

"Dammit, Risha! What the hell are you doing here?" I said, taking a few deep breaths and holstering my blaster. "Do you want to get shot?"

"Sorry. I finished my business early and tracked you down. It seemed odd you were heading to Coruscant. What's going on? You wouldn't call the Jedi unless things were about to get very real and, no offense, you seem a bit jumpy."

I waved her over to sit in one of the benches by the holo. I then proceeded to tell her everything I knew. The others didn't need to worry about this yet, but Risha was good at helping with problems that didn't involve a weapon and I needed to vent. Not to mention she had seen some of my conversation with Master Satele, anyway.

"What kind of mess are you in now?" She mused.

"Well, hopefully, none. As I said, this all might be my brother being ultra paranoid, although...if this Sith is not interested in me, it means he's actually interested in Rio, which worries me too." I sat down next to Risha. "I mean, he consumed all life on an entire planet? All life, right down to the last microscopic organism. What can anyone do to a person with that much power?"

"Sounds like a charming guy. Hope we never meet." She replied.

I nodded. "I can't agree with you more."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	16. Chapter 16

New chapter up. Thanks for reading and enjoy.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

As the weeks passed, I was beginning to feel silly for being so stressed out about my brother's concerns. I traveled around as usual, with no signs of anyone more powerful in the Force than the occasional Jedi. I spoke with Rio every week and he had seen no signs of the Sith Emperor either, though he was trying to find him. I still couldn't believe he had taken on the task of finding a Sith ghost willingly.

"So, no luck?" I asked Rio, who was standing on my ship via holo.

He shook his head. "None. I have a feeling we're not going to find him until he wants to be found, which is a scary thought, in and of itself. I just got a message from Darth Marr. He says he's found something, so we're headed to meet up with his fleet now. He's out at the very edge of Wild Space."

"I still can't believe you, mister Republic's finest, is walking right onto an Imperial ship, by invitation, no less."

"I've met with the Darth a half dozen times now and it's still surreal to me, too. Who could predict we'd share such a powerful adversary."

I nodded. "Just be careful, alright?"

Rio chuckled. "I always am. I'll talk with you again soon. Love ya, kid."

I smiled. He'd been adding the 'love ya' at the end of our conversations. It felt odd, since expressions of brotherly and sisterly love were new to both of us, but I went along with it.

"Love ya too, you big lug."

With a chuckle, the holo call ended.

"Your brother is a brave and honorable man." Bowdaar growled, entering the room.

"He is indeed. Of course, being brave and honorable won't mean much if it gets him killed." I replied, turning to face my wookie friend. "I think he's in over his head this time."

"Perhaps, but he's at least brave enough to try, even if he's doomed to fail. It would be an honorable death, fighting such a worthy foe."

I just nodded. I didn't want to argue with my friend about this emperor being far beyond just a worthy foe. From what I heard, he was damn near omnipotent. The whole situation had me on edge. The only way I could get any work done was to ignore it as best I could and pray my only living relative didn't get himself dead in the process of this noble cause.

* * *

We flew through the immense debris field. It had been three days since my holo with my brother and knowledge of his plans to join Darth Marr on his flagship. My entire crew was on the bridge with me, staring in awe.

"What in the hell could do...that...to an Imperial capital ship?" Risha said quietly as Bowdaar navigated through the debris field, which had formerly been Darth Marr's flagship. Or, at least, we assumed it was the Darth's flagship, since there were very few identifiable marks on the remaining wreckage.

"I'm not sure I really want to know." I replied. "Darth Marr was one of the highest ranking members of the Dark Council. I can only guess, but his flagship had to be one of the most powerful ships in their armoda. A Sith of his status would fly in nothing less."

I heard what could only be described as a sigh from Akaavi. "If your brother was on that ship when it was destroyed, he's most certainly dead." She said in her usual emotionless tone.

I looked at her and could see Risha making a very angry face at our resident mandalorian. I held up a hand, stopping the angry statement I knew was coming from her.

"It's okay, Risha, the comment is blunt, but Akaavi is just saying what we're all thinking. I agree with her assessment. If Rio was on that ship when it was destroyed, he's probably dead. The part of that sentence I'm choosing to focus on is the 'If he was on that ship' part. Rio is a damn good soldier and extremely good at keeping himself alive. If there was a way off that ship, he'd have found it. I'm not giving up hope just yet."

I turned to Guss, who was seated at one of the monitoring stations on the bridge. "Guss, run a scan of the surrounding territory. Look for escape pods and damaged ships. Listen for any distress calls. If the commander of Havoc squad is somewhere out there, I'm sure whoever's with him will be advertising it. You get priority on rescue with someone of his caliber stranded with you."

Guss nodded and began working.

"If you come across anyone in serious trouble, we'll help, but anyone who's just waiting for a ride can wait until the Republic gets here. We piggybacked off their signal to get the news. No doubt they have rescue ships already in route. I don't want to be here when they arrive."

I stood to leave the bridge, but turned back to look at Guss again.

"And let me know if you find anything. I've got a bad feeling about this."

I entered my quarters and shut the door. I took a comfortable position on the floor and tried to concentrate. I'd been told by Master Satele that some Jedi could sense people close to them if they focused hard enough. I'd never tried to sense Rio before, but I figured there was nothing to lose in at least making the attempt. Desperate times and all that nonsense…

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To Be Continued...


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry it took so long. New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for readying.

**Nikka POV**

I sat alone in the galley, idly swirling around the amber liquid in the glass in front of me. Though the liquid was mandalorian in origin and the glass had started out full and was now half empty, I had been drinking it so slowly, I was barely feeling its effects. I think I was drinking more out of habit than actual desire to get drunk, though no one would blame me, considering the situation.

It had been a year since the destruction of Darth Marr's flagship and there had been no sign of Rio on either side of the faction line. The Republic military was officially declaring my brother KIA. They were having a ceremony to honor him and they had sent me an official notification. It had taken me a full week to decide I was going to show.

Risha came in and took a seat next to me, taking my half empty glass and downing the liquid in one go. "You've been holding onto that glass for hours now. You don't need it."

I smiled up at my friend weakly. She was never one to mince words.

"Gonna be alright, Cap? Are you sure you don't want me to go with you to this depressing shindig they're having?" Risha asked.

"Thanks for the offer, Risha, but you have more important things to do than babysit me. I'll be fine. I'm actually kinda looking forward to being alone for a while."

Things had changed once the Eternal Empire invaded. Both the Republic and the Empire were hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered. Things were slightly better for freelancers, such as myself, but not by much. I still had plenty of work, it was just harder to travel from point A to point B and the nature of my deliveries changed from luxurie desires to more basic survival needs. I was also forced to lower my standard fees. Few people could afford a smuggler anymore.

And now, I was losing my crew.

Akaavi had left shortly after the fighting started. Apparently, Mandalor himself had put out a call to all Mandalorian clans to rally to him to fight the Eternal Empire and although the zabrak, technically, didn't have a clan anymore, she still honored the call. I didn't fully understand it, but I simply wished her good hunting and told her she'd always have a home on my ship, if she needed it. The gesture had actually earned me a genuine smile.

Bowdaar left shortly after Akaavi's departure. He had gotten wind of a slave trade and gladiator pit on Zakuul. Being the honorable wookie he was and his utter disdain for slavery, he opted to travel to Zakuul and help the slaves as best he could. We were still in contact, since he was serving as owner of a bar on the lower levels of Zakuul while he worked to free the slaves, and sometimes needed goods I could provide. I knew his life debt to me would force him to return to my side, if I wished it, but I felt he was exactly where he needed to be, so I also wished him well and let him go.

And now, I was losing Risha and Guss. My Mon Calamari was off on some mysterious Jedi mission. It sounded fishy to me, but since he had always wanted to be a Jedi, who was I to stand in his way. Maybe the training would stick this time.

And as for Risha, she was working on a scheme to get back to Dubrillion. The war hadn't spared her home world and she felt she needed to try to help, being the rightful ruler and all. I would miss her. She was like a sister to me, but she had things she needed to do. I, somehow, knew she'd come back someday.

Risha was now looking at me, like maybe she was having second thoughts about leaving.

I smiled at my friend. "I'm honored by your offer to stay with me, but your home needs you. Get the planet back and I'll come stay in your guest castle."

"I get my planet back, and I'll give you a continent." Risha leaned over and hugged me. It was a very un-Risha like thing to do, but it was exactly what I needed.

"I'm gonna hold you to that. You just be careful out there. The shit is really hitting the turbines this time. Be as safe as you can."

Risha backed away and laughed. "And you try not to wallow in self pity and drink yourself into oblivion."

I laughed with her. "You got a deal."

"We'll be touching down on Coruscant in about an hour." Risha said, then left me alone in the galley.

I pulled a bottle off the shelf, poured myself a shot and downed it quickly, then headed up to the bridge. I wasn't sure if I was ready for what waited for me on Coruscant, but I wasn't going to run away from it. Running away hadn't been Rio's style in life and it sure as hell wasn't going to be mine.

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To Be Continued...


	18. Chapter 18

New chapter up. Enjoy!

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**Nikka POV**

I sat to the side, near the back of the ceremony. Very few people knew Major Drucos had a sister, let alone who I was, so I figured I'd be able to attend without being noticed, as long as I steered clear of his old team. I, honestly, was in no mood for sympathy. A few Jedi in attendance recognized me from my time on Tython, but merely nodded their heads in recognition and let me be, not feeling the need to comment or gesture. Jedi were good like that.

The ceremony had been nice enough. They honored Rio's accomplishments as a soldier and his sacrifice for the Republic. They even granted him a higher rank, which was stupid. Why the hell did it matter if they made him a colonel? The man was dead. He certainly didn't care what rank he held anymore.

I waited for the crowd to dissipate once the ceremony was over, staying in my seat as I watched everyone return to their business, then headed over to one of the protective railings near the edge of the senate tower. I was lost in thought, though I really had no idea what I was thinking. I was numb, but not the good kind of numb you get from a night out.

"I didn't know if you'd show." Came a familiar voice from behind me. I turned to find Theron Shan standing there with a lopsided smile. It looked like he wasn't sure if smiling was appropriate or not, so what appeared on his face was a bit forced and awkward. The look alone cheered me up a little.

I shrugged. "I felt like I'd be considered a terrible sister if I skipped it."

"I think the ceremony was more for the military's sake than anyone who actually cared about the Major. It's nice to see you again, though."

I leaned against the railing and looked at Theron for a moment. He looked different. Less like a SIS agent and more like a private citizen, though he looked a bit stressed out.

"You're not gonna ask me if I'm alright, are you? It's probably the stupidest question you can ask a person who just lost a loved one, and yet, it's the most often asked question at funerals." I turned back to look over the horizon of Coruscant. "Anyone who says they're fine is lying."

"Then I won't ask." Theron joined me at the railing. "I heard you're losing your crew."

I scoffed. Not SIS anymore, but still in the know. I shouldn't have been surprised. "Priorities shift during hard times."

"Well, I don't know what your priorities are now, but I have an offer for you."

I looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.

"I know our encounters usually end a certain way, but this is not that kind of offer. Just hear me out, though we need to go somewhere less public."

"Well, since I had nothing planned for after the ceremony besides drinking, I'll listen. But if you're just looking to jump me, I might need to shoot you." I joked, smiling.

Theron held him hands up. "No jumping. Just drinking and talking, I swear."

With a nod, I followed Theron.

* * *

**Corso POV**

I stood in the back, just watching.

I had heard about Major Korrio Drucos's disappearance. I was tempted to call Nikka, but decided against it. It had been years since I left and she probably had no desire to talk to me anyway.

A year later, one of my shipmates told me about a ceremony being held on Coruscant for the missing Havoc leader, who was officially being declared dead. I, again, thought about contacting Nikka, but decided to travel to Coruscant instead. A face to face meeting felt like a better option, though it would give her an opportunity to shoot me.

I stayed near the back of the ceremony and it took me a few minutes to find Nikka, sitting to the back of the crowd. She looked good, all things considered. She wasn't crying. She wasn't showing any emotion at all, save for a blank stare as several important people spoke about her brother.

It was in that moment that I decided to approach her after the ceremony. She may not look like she was in pain, but I knew her well enough to know she had a talent for hiding such things. I wasn't sure if she was even interested in seeing me, but I was willing to take the chance.

After the crowd dispersed, Nikka went to stand by the railing. She was totally alone. The setup was perfect. I slipped into the shadows for a moment, to build my courage, then turned to walk over to the woman I used to love, the woman I still loved, but she had been joined by a man. He spoke to her with her back to him and when she turned, she was smiling, so she obviously knew him.

They spoke quietly for a moment. At first, face to face, then side by side at the railing. They only conversed for a few minutes, then they left together, heading to the speeder bay. I followed them to a set of apartment buildings. They entered one and I waited by the entrance, hoping Nikka would come back out. After several hours, I decided to just leave. If she needed comforting, she was obviously getting it from someone else.

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To Be Continued...


	19. Chapter 19

New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

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**Nikka POV**

I sat on Theron's couch as he poured two drinks, handing me one of them, then took a seat in the chair across from me.

The apartment was fairly sparse, having only the bare minimum of furnishings. As far as I could tell, the only place the former spy spent any time was the kitchen table, since it was littered with various datapads and open folders. The rest of the room looked barely lived in.

"So, what's the offer you have for me?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink. It was high quality, obviously top shelf.

"I think your brother is still alive."

It was a good thing I had swallowed the sip I had taken, because I would have choked on it. I still had to clear my throat a few times before responding. "You seem to be the only one, judging by the ceremony today." I said calmly, though my heart was pounding.

"There are others, though they're not exactly what you would call 'welcome' on this planet. We're not sure on the details yet, but myself and a few others are working on locating the major. It's not like we have many eyes in the Eternal Empire, considering we've only known about its existence for a year."

I put my drink on the table in front of me and leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees. "If he were out there right now, free, he'd have contacted me. Do you think he's been captured? Imprisoned? It's too much of a coincidence that he goes missing and suddenly there's a new power in the galaxy."

Theron nodded, taking a drink. "We think he's been captured by the Eternal Empire, but reliable details have been stubbornly hard to find. We could use your help. You have contacts and resources outside of official channels and these days, that is a very rare and valuable commodity. I've also heard you've visited Zakuul a time or two."

I leaned back in my seat. Theron and his contacts were oddly informed on my wareabouts. Not that I was hiding, but still. I thought about it for a minute. If Rio was still alive, I needed to help find him and being on my own meant I wouldn't be dragging anyone into danger with me. Theron wasn't just bringing me in because I was Rio's sister, I had resources which could help. I nodded.

"Whatever you need. Resources, contacts, credits, a ship or an extra blaster at your side, I'm in."

Theron smiled. "I figured this would be an easy sell, but I couldn't be sure. I know you fairly well, but…"

"We've shared far more than a drink on more than one occasion. I'd say we know each other very well."

My comment made Theron blush slightly. It made me smile. Instead of leaving him hanging to find something to say, I continued.

"What have you got in mind? Where do we start?"

* * *

**Nikka POV**

**Later…**

"Well, I'd have to say, Lana's intel might have been flawed." I shouted to be heard over blaster fire while crouched behind a large shipping crate with Theron. To our left was my ship, directly in front of us was about two dozen skytroopers, all blasting without pause. There was no way in hell we'd get to the ship in one piece.

"She did say it might have been a little stale." Theron yelled back, looking around the crate just long enough to send several shots towards the skytroopers, before ducking back down. It was enough to keep them at bay, but we were still pinned down.

I scoffed. "Stale? This was supposed to be an abandoned building. Abandoned, as in, empty. This is the exact opposite of empty, Theron." I peeked around the corner and shot off a few bolts of my own, taking a quick look at the control panel to the door the skytroopers were milling around. If we could close the doors, we'd cut off all but two or three of the droids, but I could think of no way to actually get to the panel.

"We got what we needed." He replied.

"Yes, but if we die here, it won't do us any good. Information is useless to corpses!"

I thought about the control panel, reaching out through the Force. I could sense the mechanism which would close the door and I could probably trigger it with my mind, but there was just one small problem with my idea, Theron didn't know I was Force sensitive and I very much didn't want him to know. It would probably be worth telling him, if it meant we got out of this alive, but I was still reluctant.

"I have an idea." I said to him, turning back around. I was going to have to time this perfectly. I reached out with the Force and prepared to trigger the mechanism. At the same time, I pivoted and shot at the panel. My bolt hit a second after the mechanism flipped and the door closed. It looked like my bolt had activated the door. Perfect.

"Now, Theron!" I shouted, firing at the four remaining skytroopers with both my blasters. Theron did the same and within seconds, they were all turned to smothering debris.

"Great shot." Theron said between heavy breaths.

"Let's get the hell outta here before they figure a way to bypass the door."

We both sprinted towards my ship, weapons at the ready, but fortunately, we ran into no further opposition. Once onboard, we took off and hit hyperspace before any automated defenses could get a lock on us. Once we were safe in Hyperspace, l leaned back in my chair with a sigh. That had been close.

Theron worked on the console across from the pilot seat, plugging the data we had just pulled from the base into my computer. "Looks like the real thing. A full map with all entrances and exits." He looked over at me. "Lana should be able to work with this."

I nodded. "Good to know we didn't just almost die for nothing."

"Good Idea, shooting the panel like that. You really are one hell of a shot." Theron complimented.

"We're just lucky the idea worked. Not all doors respond that well to being shot. Trust me, I know from experience."

Theron stood. "I don't know about you, but I need a drink."

"Let me enter this lovely excursion into my log and I'll join you in a sec." I replied. Once Theron was gone, I closed my eyes and did something I rarely did, I recited the Jedi code in my head, hoping it would calm my nerves. My training in the Force just saved our asses, even if it was cleverly disguised as a lucky shot.

I had no idea why I felt compelled to keep my Force abilities a secret from Theron. We had been working together for months now, slowly and painfully piecing together what we needed to know to find Rio. We now knew he was alive and imprisoned, we just didn't know where or how, yet.

Theron called on me every time he needed backup on a mission. We worked well together, both professionally and personally. We were, more or less, together. Neither of us were what you would call 'good' at being in a relationship, but we seemed to mesh well with our current friends with benefits attitude. It worked. Now, why I felt I needed to keep my secret from him, I didn't know. It just felt important that he didn't know. I had learned to trust my gut, so secret, it would remain.

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To Be Continued...


	20. Chapter 20

New Chapter up! Thanks for reading and special thanks to those who leave feedback.

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**Theron POV**

"Hmm." Nikka said while she examined the readout from her scanner.

"Hmm, good or Hmm, bad?"

"Not sure." She looked up at me. "It seems to be what your guy says it is. Whether it'll counteract the effects of prolonged carbon freeze, your guess is as good as mine. I'm not a doctor."

I nodded. I had been working with an old contact to get a serum which would reverse any ill effects impacting Major Drucos when we thawed him out from his long carbon freeze imprisonment. If Lana was to mount a successful rescue, the Major would need to be able to fight almost from the moment he's freed from his prison. Getting out of there was going to be hard enough without suffering from muscle weakness and temporary blindness. Lana was a powerful Sith, but she couldn't get him out of there on her own, if he wasn't able to help himself.

Nikka handed the serum to me and I carefully placed it in a container. Lana would be back on Nar Shaddaa in a little over a day, once her part of the final preparations was complete.

Nikka leaned back in her chair with a sigh.

"You don't like this very much, do you?" I asked, leaning against the edge of the desk where Nikka sat. We had been working together for years now. I was getting to know her mannerisms and personality quirks fairly well.

"I like that we're finally getting Rio out of Arcann's damned art gallery. I don't like being left on the sidelines for the event. I could help."

"Yes, but with the nature of this particular rescue, it'll be much easier to slip in, get the major out of storage and get out, for a smaller group. Lana can handle this with the group she'll have with her, as well as Teeseven on the inside. I hate to say it, but this situation is much more suited for a Sith, than for an ex spy or a smuggler."

Nikka sat up straight in her chair, rubbing her temples. "I know." She replied, sounding defeated. "I know. I'm just tired."

I stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders. "I think we both could use some rest. It'll be a good day before Lana gets back. Why don't you go lay down. I'll join you in a few minutes."

After a few seconds, Nikka sighed. "You're right." She stood, turning to face me. "Don't stay up too late. I've got this feeling things are going to start getting very interesting soon. We should enjoy the rest while we can."

"I just want to finish packing up a few things. It won't take long."

I gave Nikka a quick peek on the lips then she headed towards the bedroom we shared.

I wasn't sure when our relationship went from the occasional hookup during missions to a full blown exclusive relationship, but I was fairly sure that was where we were now. Neither of us admitted it, since neither of us were the type to admit such things easily, but we both knew what it was.

When we moved into a place on Nar Shaddaa during our final preparations to rescue the major, we shared the same bedroom without even discussing it beforehand. Lana thought it was infinitely amusing how we were obviously together, but we never talked about it, to each other or anyone else.

Once the major was rescued, I had a feeling that would change.

I shook my head to clear it as I finished securing the case with the serum. I didn't need to think about what I was going to say to my lover's brother once he was free. I'd cross that bridge when I came to it. Instead, I headed to join Nikka. A little sleep would do me good, since Nikka was probably right about things getting interesting from here and I doubted a good night's sleep would be in the cards for much longer.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	21. Chapter 21

Finally able to get a new chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

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**Nikka POV**

I paced back and forth across the room, aware Theron was eyeing me as I moved. He was worried about me, though he was doing a very good job hiding it. He could hide his emotions almost as well as a Jedi.

Lana had been gone for a full week. Our plan to release Rio from his carbonite prison was finally underway, and I found I couldn't stay still. There had been no news yet and it was driving me crazy.

Theron had managed to convince me to stay behind, while Lana took Koth and HK to Zakuul. We also had an astromech droid on Zakuul, a former companion of the current Jedi Battlemaster, helping to relay information. The planet was so automated, no one thought twice about a little droid wheeling around, playing spy and saboteur on our behalf.

"I really wish you'd stop pacing. It's making me nervous." Theron finally commented. I was surprised he had remained quiet for as long as he had, considering my agitation. He had been packing up the office area of our workspace on Nar Shaddaa, so we could move to Odessen, but my pacing had distracted him from his work.

"We should have heard something by now. It's been a week." I replied, not stopping my pacing.

"Actually, I'd be shocked if we get an update before the two week mark. It took a couple of days to get there. The process of getting the major free and off world could take several more days, even if everything goes to plan. I don't think we have reason to worry yet."

I growled slightly, stopping to look at him. "Stop being so logical! I just feel so helpless sitting around this office doing nothing."

Theron gave me a sympathetic smile, crossing the room to stand directly in my pacing path, placing a hand on each of my arms to steady my motion.

"I know you do, but have some faith in Lana. She may be a Sith, but she's good. She'll get your brother out, just give her some time. This wasn't going to be a walk in the park, we knew that going in."

"Nothing with Rio ever is." I replied with a nod. Yes, I did know the risks going in. That knowledge didn't make me feel any better.

"You just need to take your mind off of it." He leaned in and kissed me. It was soft and gentle, but lingering. After a minute or so, he pulled away, smiling.

"You're trying to distract me." I said. I tried to keep my grumpy face, but I couldn't prevent a small smile from forming. I always smiled after kissing Theron.

"Is it working?" He asked.

My smile widened against my wishes. "Little bit."

Theron pulled me closer. "Only a little bit? Then I'll have to try harder." He kissed me again, but this time, the kiss wasn't soft or gentle and it lasted several minutes. We were both out of breath when we pulled apart.

"Theron Shan, you are terrible." I said, now thoroughly distracted, the mission only a slight shadow at the back of my mind.

"Perhaps, but you feel better, don't you?" He replied with a sly smile. "Do I need to go further to distract you?"

I actually laughed. "I'd love to see what other activities you have in mind, but I really should work on my backlog of deliveries while I wait. Who knows when I'll have time again, once we find Rio and get to Odessen. I only have a couple left."

Theron looked at me critically. "None of those deliveries take you to Zakuul, do they?"

"I'm not using my smuggling work as an excuse to interfere with the mission. I desperately what to help, but if I were to show up, I would only be a detriment. I want Rio to focus on getting himself off the planet in one piece. If I were there, even if you let me be there from the beginning, he'd be focusing on protecting me. The entire mission could fail and Arcann would have more people hanging on his wall." I placed a hand on Theron's cheek. "As hard as it is, I'll stay away."

"Good to hear. While you're gone, I'll pack up shop here. We'll probably not see each other again until we all get to Odessen. Just be careful."

I scoffed. "I'm always careful."

Again, Theron eyed me.

"Careful enough, anyway." I corrected. "These runs will be nothing. They're deliveries to known allies in secure areas. I'll be fine." I left out the part about one of the deliveries being to Bowdaar on Zakuul, but I was being honest about not interfering with Lana's mission. I didn't want to risk Rio's life with my presence. I might, however, get some first hand intel on the mission, if I'm on the planet. Theron didn't need to know about my plan. He'd only worry.

"You be careful too. I fully expect to see you in a few weeks, on Odessen, in one piece. You have almost as much of a knack for getting into trouble as I have and I won't be there to watch your back."

I hugged Theron and he hugged me back, more tightly than usual. I could feel his reluctance to let me leave, but I didn't comment on it. As far as I knew, he had no clue I was Force sensitive and I wanted to continue to keep it that way. It wasn't easy to keep stuff from an experienced spy and Theron was far more observant than most, particularly around me. The closer we got, the harder it was to keep secrets from him. I was just lucky he never looked too hard into my past.

"Let me know the minute you hear anything." I said.

Theron nodded. "You know I will."

I gave Theron one last kiss, then gathered my things and headed to my ship. I had a very small shipment to deliver to some friends on Taris, before I headed to Zakuul for my monthly supply run to Bowdaar. It would be nice to see my furry friend again. I missed having him by my side. Knowing I'd be with Bowdaar made me feel less guilty about my lie to Theron.

I just hoped I'd be able to keep myself distracted while I waited for news from Lana. It wasn't a very common phrase for me to use, but I quietly said, "May the Force be with them" when thinking of Rio and all the people risking their lives to save him. I'd take any advantage we could get.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	22. Chapter 22

New chapter up. Enjoy!

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**Rio POV**

I sat in one of the uncomfortable seats on the Gravestone, my head resting on the wall behind me. As a career soldier, I could fall asleep almost anywhere, in any position. It was a handy skill to have, since sometimes missions only afforded you a quick power nap, in lieu of a full night's sleep. I desperately needed sleep, but my mind was too active. Too much had happened in the last couple of days.

I felt like I was dying when Lana thawed me out. After she injected me with a serum to cure me of my hibernation sickness, I wished I had died. The serum did the trick, allowing me at least some of my former strength in a matter of minutes, but it hurt like hell and I was nowhere near one hundred percent.

From there, it was a long, hard slog from where I was being held to a pickup site. Of course, things didn't go to plan. We got out of the city, but we also crash landed just outside the city in a swamp, having sustained damage from Zakuul's heavy guns during our escape. Koth was fairly knowledgeable about the place, but considering he was a Zakuulan native, it made sense.

Again, we had a long, hard slog through the swamp, followed by skytroopers and attacked by various native wildlife. By some miracle, maybe the Force if I believed Lana or destiny if you believed Koth, we stumbled upon the Gravestone. After a few days, we were able to get the ship flightworthy, thanks to Koth's vast knowledge of starship repair, and we escaped the planet. Lana had taken a minor hit, but we left with our lives and with a new friend.

Senya was a Zakuulan Knight who didn't agree with Arcann's ruling technique, so she had been helping Lana. Koth hated her with a fiery passion, but I'd take any friend I could get and Lana spoke highly of her. That was good enough for me.

Unfortunately, Valkorion had managed to adhere to my brain. Not sure how or why, but he kept popping up, just like in my carbonite dream, only this time, he was tempting me with his power. The whole concept left me feeling a bit uneasy, but there was little I could do about it, so I played along. I didn't plan to accept his help, that was for damn sure. He may be more powerful, but will to will, we'd see who'd have the last laugh.

Now I sat, trying to sleep, but only managing to reflect on the situation. It had been five years...five full years...since I had been frozen and placed in Arcann's trophy case. Everything I knew was being blown to hell and everyone I knew and cared about were forced to fight for their lives, while I hung on the wall like some macabre ornament.

Lana had known nothing about my squad, though that wasn't a surprise. As good as she was with gathering intelligence, my squad was still the best of the best in the Republic. It might not have helped my state of mind much, but knowing my team was still flying under the radar, helped my morale slightly.

Lana had been able to tell me about my sister. Apparently, Nikka had been helping Lana with my rescue, fortunately, opting out of the rescue plan itself. As much as I wanted to see her, I was happy that she hadn't been there when I was thawed. Getting out of there had been dangerous and though I knew she could take care of herself, it eased my mind to know she was safe.

My mind kept leaping to Elara. Was she alive? Was she still a part of Havoc? Did she wait for me over the last five years or had she moved on? I'd be upset, but not shocked, to find out she had moved on. I'm sure I had been declared dead years ago, leaving her a widow. It made my heart ache just thinking about it, which didn't help my attempt to sleep.

There was just so much I didn't know. Fortunately, the stress on my body from the carbonite freezing, and the constant fighting afterwards, finally forced my mind into a nice, deep sleep.

* * *

**Lana POV**

I had forgotten just how much lightsaber wounds hurt. I tried not to focus on it, but my arm was killing me. Koth had put aside his anger over me asking for Senya's assistance to help me dress the wound and I was now alone in one of the side rooms of the Gravestone, focusing, not only on healing my arm, but also on the major.

I had been shocked to hear that the Sith Emperor was currently located in the major's head. It troubled me to think that our worst enemy was residing so close to everything we had been working for. Unfortunately, Arcann had to be our focus. With any luck, Valkorion would stay out of the way until we found a way to remove him from the recesses of Major Drucos's mind. I was also confident the major wouldn't be tempted by Valkorion's power, since he wasn't the type of man to take the easy way out.

I needed to contact Theron, but the Gravestones communications systems weren't operational and fixing them was not a priority. I'd just have to wait until we reached Asylum to give him the news. I was sure Nikka was probably anxious to hear about her brother's safe return to the land of the living.

I had told the major what I could about the last five years, but considering we were on opposite sides of a war at the time of his disappearance, I had very little I could tell him about the specific details of the Republic, particularly his squad. Information became even harder to come by once the war with the Eternal Empire started. Hopefully, Theron and Nikka would be able to fill in more of the pieces, once we finally arrived on Odessen. Neither of them were necessarily in the main Republic loop, but they had contacts within the Republic I just didn't have.

The major was very happy when I told him his sister was still very much alive and had, in fact, helped plan his rescue. According to Nikka, she was the only blood relative the major had left. At least I could give the man some good news.

I was thankful he was taking some time to rest. We'd all need to recharge for what happened next. I was getting a strange feeling about things to come.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	23. Chapter 23

New Chapter up, enjoy. Sorry for the delay.

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**Nikka POV**

I lay in my bed on my ship, lost in thought. It was easy to think on my ship these days, since the only other occupant was my ship's protocol droid, who was currently keeping an eye on our course.

I was on Zakuul when the rescue party managed to escape the planet. It was easy to get news about the evil outlander and how he had almost caused the destruction of a good part of the city trying to escape. What they didn't report on Zakuulan channels was how Vaylin had caused the almost meltdown and how the outlander had actually helped prevent it, causing a citywide blackout instead. My brother had saved thousands of lives.

Bowdaar's contacts on Zakuul really were excellent and I was thankful for the information.

At least I knew for sure that Rio, Lana and the others had made it off the planet. That alone made me feel better, allowing me to actually enjoy my drink and my friend's company. I spent almost a whole day with Bowdaar, before heading towards Odessen. I had to stop at Port Nowhere first to get a few things and to square away some business, but I had a feeling I'd have time. My intuition was telling me not to rush and it had always been right so far.

I hadn't heard anything from Theron, which meant Lana hadn't contacted him yet. No doubt she was in no position to communicate. I'd have to act relieved when Theron contacted me.

I was just about asleep when my holo started beeping. I sat straight up, all thoughts of sleep gone. I took a few slow breaths, allowing my heart to stop racing from being startled, then looked over to the holo. It was Theron. I smiled, then answered the call.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked. It felt good to see Theron, even if it was only over the holo. I hated to admit it, but I had grown very attached to my spy boyfriend. I had loved Corso, but he never made my heartbeat quicken like Theorn did just from a look.

"Almost. Another five minutes and you would have. I'm guessing there's news?"

"There is. They made it off Zakuul. It took a little longer and was a bit messier than they had planned, but everyone got away in one piece. They even got themselves a new toy. Get this, they stumbled across a ship, in the middle of the swamp, that has the power to destroy the whole eternal fleet."

"What?" I didn't need to feign surprise. I hadn't heard about that part. "One ship that can take out the whole fleet?"

"Apparently. Unfortunately, it's not in the best shape, so it will take some time to get it in full working order."

"I'm just happy Rio's alive. Are they on Odessen?"

"Not yet. They only made it to Asylum. Lana says they need to make some repairs before they can make it all the way to Odessen. And...I don't know...it sounded like there was more to tell, but she didn't want to talk over the holo." He shrugged. "I guess we'll get the whole story soon enough. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Better now that I know Rio's alright." I wanted to tell Theron I missed him and that I hated traveling around without him, but I also didn't want to spook him. I wasn't totally comfortable with the words, myself. It was strange, this longing to be with someone. Again, it wasn't something I had experienced with Corso. "I need to fly out to Port Nowhere for a few days, maybe a week, but after that, I'll be heading to Odessen. I'm sure our little rescue party will be there by then."

"There are a few things I need to do before I head out, too. With any luck, I'll see you there in a few days." He paused, looking uncomfortable. "I've gotten used to having you around."

I had to laugh. "I miss you too, Theron. Take care."

"You too."

The holo went dead and I leaned back down against the head of my bed. Rio was alive and reasonably safe and I'd see Theron again soon. There was no reason for my mind to race anymore. I cuddled back down into my covers and fell right asleep.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	24. Chapter 24

New Chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

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**Nikka POV**

I let out a relaxed sigh as I docked at Port Nowhere. It was nice to be back.

Port Nowhere had pretty much been mine since I befriended Rogan the Butcher and defeated the Voidwolf. Rogan kept a permanent residence on the station and ran things on my behalf. You couldn't tell it by looking at him, considering age didn't show on his species like it did on humans, but he was well past retirement age. He seemed to like the idea of keeping busy during his retirement by running the station and I trusted him to do so. Though our relationship had been very rocky, at first, with the whole wanting me dead thing and both of us being played by the Empire, we became good friends once it was all sorted out.

I headed towards Rogan's office, getting the occasional nod from some of the regular visitors to the station. When I arrived, I found Rogan standing at his office door, talking with another smuggler. He saw me coming, dismissing the smuggler, who departed without question.

"Ah, Captain. Good to see you alive and well."

He entered the office and I followed, the door closing behind us.

"It's good to be seen. These days it's harder to stay alive and well. Our business has never been safe, but…"

Rogan chuckled. "...but these days, we're lucky to make even simple runs without getting our heads blown off."

I nodded. "How're things?" I sat down in a chair next to a small table and Rogan sat across from me. There was a bottle of red liquor on the table, a favorite of Rogan's species. He poured a glass for me, then one for himself.

Rogan shrugged, handing me a glass. "Same as always. We're still off Arcann's radar, though we're forced to move around more than I'd like. Business has actually picked up, but the runs aren't nearly as easy as they used to be and moving around isn't ideal. Fuel's not exactly cheap."

"And this station wasn't exactly meant to be moved as much as it has been over the last few years. Hopefully, things are about to happen that will change all that." I leaned back against my seat, taking a sip of my drink. The liquid was sweeter than I usually liked, but it was far more palatable than any of the mandalorian stuff I kept on my ship.

"So, you found him?"

I nodded. I had told Rogan about our plans to find my brother and Lana's belief that finding him was the key to ending the Eternal Empire. The Chagrian had his doubts, but he helped with our plans whenever I asked. I honestly thought he went along with the plan mainly because he had great faith in me, more than any true belief that one person could end an entire empire.

"Yep. As far as I know, he's alive and well. Hopefully, we can start getting some momentum going. We'll need a lot of support on the smuggler end, but Theron managed to get Hylo Visz to run things for our underground. She'll have her hands full, but she's good."

Rogan whistled. "Impressive. I had figured she'd try to disappear once she got off Belsavis."

"I think that's the whole reason she's working for us. Our little alliance is a good place to do some good, but still remain off the grid. She likes her work too much to retire. I certainly didn't want the job, but I'll help where I can."

Rogan finished his drink and placed the glass on the table in front of us. "Well, I've mentioned your little endeavor to a few of the independent captains. There's interest, that's for sure. The Eternal Empire is bad for business. Having more work isn't profitable when you have to use twice as much of your take to repair your ship or replace lost crew. I'll make sure to send interested parties your way, once you get everything up and running."

"That's appreciated, my friend. It might be awhile before I get back here, but I know the station is in good hands. Just let me know if you run into any problems. I'll do what I can."

"And you should be careful. You're settling down more than is safe for people like us."

I knew Rogan was talking about Theron. The ex-spy had accompanied me to the station a few times over the last few years, and though Theron hadn't done anything to warrant Rogan's suspicion, he was leery of him anyway. I had a feeling it was more a problem with Theron's profession, than anything else.

I scoffed. "I can handle myself, you know that."

"Perhaps, but spies have a way of needling in where they don't necessarily belong."

"Thanks for the advice, Dad. I'll keep it in mind."

Rogan put his hand up defensively. "I'm not trying to butt in, just don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'm duly warned. And I do appreciate the sentiment."

"Then consider the topic dropped." Rogan poured each of us another drink.

Once we passed the pleasantries, we wrapped up station business and I headed back to my ship. I planned to stay docked at Port Nowhere for a few more days, just until I was sure Rio had made it safely to Odessen. It would give me a chance to mentally and physically prepare. I didn't know for sure what was coming, but I knew that whatever it was, wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	25. Chapter 25

New chapter up. Enjoy!

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**Rio POV**

When we arrived on Odessen, it wasn't much to look at. It was beautiful, of course, with its vast forests and wild open spaces, but we didn't need a nature hike, we needed a base of operations. We had some good bones, but it would take time to get everything up and running.

I found myself surrounded by people from every species and affiliation. There were civilians from numerous professions, soldiers from both the Republic and Empire of every rank and many Force users. Jedi, Sith and even some Voss. And more importantly, they were all working together, each with at least one story of loss which prompted them to join this alliance.

Lana and Theron had done an amazing job. I just hoped I could live up to the hype and keep all this together.

I looked down at the console, reading a recent scan of the area around Odessen. The planet was pretty much in the middle of absolutely nowhere, so the scans coming back clear was no surprise. Hopefully, we can keep the planet a secret from Arcann. I knew full well what the Eternal Fleet could do to a planet.

A young technician approached me, formerly from the imperial navy. She saluted, then stood at attention.

"Sir, Hylo Visz is requesting your presence, if you have a moment."

"Thank you, soldier." I replied, dismissing the young woman.

I finished my review of the scan, then headed to the side of the main installation setup for our resource acquisition. It was pretty much an underground smuggling ring, but we had to have a way to get the things needed to build and care for the ever growing number of inhabitants on the planet. The more quietly, the better. Again, we didn't want to show up on Arcann's radar.

I entered the room and saw Hylo standing by the main computer console. As I approached, I could see she was looking over a list of medical supplies. She turned and smiled at me. Hylo was tough, but friendly. She had been in the smuggling business long enough, even I knew about her reputation. I don't normally keep track of smugglers, except for my sister, but Hylo was infamous enough to even be on my radar.

"Ah, Commander. We just got something delivered which might interest you." She said, pointing to the side of the computer terminal. "Or I guess you could call it, someone."

Nikka stepped out of the shadows, a huge smile on her face. She rushed over and almost threw herself at me. I was lucky she's small and I'm strong.

"Thank the Force you're alive, Rio." She said.

I hugged her back, lifting her off the ground slightly. "Lana said you've been helping out here. I was wondering when you'd show up."

Nikka pulled away, shrugging. "I wanted to give you a chance to get settled. Besides, I've had business elsewhere. I knew you were in good hands with Lana."

Hylo had gone back to her lists and Nikka and I wandered over to the far side of the room, by the door.

"I'm so happy you're alive." I said to her.

She scoffed at me. "You were the one who dropped off the map for five years. It took everything we had to find you and get you out of Arcann's possession. But I never believed you were truly dead. Not for a second. When Theron approached me to help find you, that was all the confirmation I needed."

I nodded. "Theron got here about a week ago. He said you were a great help. Will you be staying? I'll arrange a room for you."

"Don't worry about that. My permanent residence is my ship, as always. If I'm on Odessen, I'll stay on my ship, or with Theron. I don't need a place of my own."

My eyes widened. "Did I just hear you right?"

Nikka chuckled. "You did. Theron and I hooked up a couple times before you went missing. Once after he hired me for one of his missions and the second time right after Ziost. A year after you went missing, he sought me out to help and we've been casually together ever since. I really hope you don't have a problem with it...that would be inconvenient."

"What...no...no of course not. I'm just a little surprised. It's nice to know you had someone watching your back." I replied. I had not been expecting that news. And she spoke so casually about it, so they'd obviously gotten past the new relationship shyness.

"Great." Nikka headed into the main control room and I followed. "Wow, this worked out nicely, didn't it?" She said, looking over the place. "Anyway…" She turned back to me. "Theron will be happy. He was worried you wouldn't approve and you know Theron, he cares about that kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Theron asked, entering the control room from the opposite door, connected to the Force user enclave.

"About us." Nikka replied, walking over to him, and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Sorry I didn't tell you, Commander. I thought it would be better coming from your sister. So you're good with this?" Theron asked, almost blushing. In all my time working with Theron, I'd never even seen him talk about women in an affectionate way. He was a constant professional and had been raised by a Jedi. Not exactly the upbringing to nurture healthy personal relationships.

I nodded. "A bit shocked, but Nikka's my sister and you're one of my best friends. Not to mention you're both adults. You'll get no objection for me."

"Great! Now that the bantha has left the room, we can move on to more important business…" Nikka grabbed me by the arm. "...like you showing me the rest of this place. The last time I was here, all of this was just a hole in a mountain. We had a plan, but hadn't actually started much construction. I'm impressed."

"I'll let you two catch up. I've got a few calls to make." Theron said, leaving us to go to one of the many control panels in the room.

We left the control room and headed up the cantina. Stopping here and there to look at different aspects of the operation. Once we arrived at the cantina, I got us both drinks and we sat.

"You really have done wonders here." Nikka said, sipping her drink.

I looked down into my drink. "I just hope it'll be enough."

"Hey, don't be like that. You're not alone on this. You got me, and Theron and Lana. And I promise, I'll find out what happened to your team. We'll find Elara. What do you think I was doing while they were getting you out of cold storage?"

I had to smile. Nikka knew me very well, even with our lack of closeness before all of this happened. She understood my mindset and how much I'd want to know what happened to the people in my past. The people who were my responsibility.

I raised my glass. "Here's to making up for lost time."

Nikka clinked her glass against mine and downed her drink. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	26. Chapter 26

New chapter up. Enjoy.

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**Nikka POV**

I sat at the main computer of my ship, getting more and more frustrated. Since returning to Odessen, my main obsession had been to try and track down the remaining missing members of my brother's old team. Most were already accounted for, but the most important one, at least to my brother, was still missing.

Theron walked in, carrying a data pad. He gave me a tired smile. "Any news?"

I look up at him. He gave me a quick kiss, before sitting down next to me at one of the other terminals. It was amazing how comfortable we had gotten with our affection.

"Well, M1-4X and Yuun are with us and Rio ran into Vik on Asylum, so that just leaves Aric Jorgan and Elara Dorne. I think I found Elara." I replied.

"Well, that's progress and it fills in a gap in my own search."

I sighed. "Let me rephrase that. I've found out what happened to her, not really where she is at the moment." I swiveled my chair and looked at Theron. "From what I can tell, shortly after numbnuts took over as chancellor, an order went out basically banishing all former Imperials from Republic military service. Not exactly what I'd call a sound strategy for keeping your military quota stocked and morale up, but what do I know. Anyway, at the time, Dorne was still with Havoc, under Aric Jorgan. I think her removal from the squad was what put the final nail in the coffin for the team, as Rio knew it anyway."

I leaned back and put my feet up on the side panel. "Well, I tried to find some official discharge records for her, but there were none. So, I looked a little deeper into the Republic military and found out that after her dismissal from Havoc, Elara was given a special assignment by none other than daddy dearest."

"Malcom?"

"Yep. It seemed odd for Malcom to request one of the dismissed ex Imperials to work directly under him, since, from what I can tell, he supported the command to remove the Imperials wholeheartedly. That's pretty much where I'm at now. I have a feeling it'll be hard to track down what the Republic Supreme Commander's personal elite team is doing. I'm sure it's probably beyond blackops, but I'll keep working on it."

"Well, that means the leader of Havoc must still be Aric Jorgan. I sent some intel to an old SIS contact of mine which used to work closely with Republic special forces. It seems Havoc has gone AWOL. They're currently on Zakuul without official Republic permission. Apparently, Havoc's commander is...displeased...with their assignments, as of late."

"Not shocking. Havoc was always the team which liked to get things done. I imagine it's been frustrating fighting for the Republic, if things are as bad with them as we think. They probably decided to do something useful, for a change."

"My thoughts exactly." Theron said. "I still need to run this by the commander, but I have a feeling he'll do whatever he can to convince Havoc to join our side, even if it's only temporary. Jorgan was always a very patriotic soldier. If he's still in command and they went rogue, then he'd probably jump at the chance to work with your brother again."

"And going through Rio keeps your name out of it." I added.

"Nice bonus, since I'm not exactly liked around the Republic anymore." He shrugged. "Can't imagine why."

I laughed at his joke, since we both knew full well why the Republic didn't like him much. Not only did he abandon them for making stupid choices, but he had a major falling out with his father on the way out the door. It was a slippery subject I tried to avoid. I usually tried to avoid the subject of his family entirely. It couldn't be easy to have the Jedi Grandmaster as a mom and the Republic Supreme Commander as a dad.

"Well then, go. Talk with Rio and work your angle. I'll see if I can make some progress with mine." I got up and walked over to Theron, sitting across his lap. "And if you two go out to talk with Havoc, just be careful. Jorgan is my brother's friend, but it's been five years and things can change."

Theron wrapped his arms around me. "Hey, I'm always careful."

We sat for several minutes, just enjoying being together and alone. Those two things had become a rarity since arriving on Odessen. When Theron left to talk to Rio, I went to my galley and poured myself a drink. I definitely needed it for the job I had ahead of me.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	27. Chapter 27

New chapter up. See what happens when Nikka is faced with Corso! Enjoy.

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**Nikka POV**

I walked through the command center with Lana, trying my best not to be annoyed with her. She had figured out I was Force sensitive and had been on an unending quest to convince me to let her train me as a Sith. She was being oddly persistent about the idea and almost protective of me since freeing my brother.

"Lana." I said quietly. "I didn't even really want to train to be a Jedi, let alone a Sith. My sensitivity has been a pain in my ass all my life. I know enough about the Force for it to be useful. I don't want to learn anymore about it."

"You really should consider my offer. You don't need to become a Sith, but there are things you could learn that might be helpful. With you being, well, related to who you're related to, it might be beneficial to learn more about your abilities and not just from a Jedi perspective. The Force isn't exactly black and white anymore."

I sighed. "I'll think about it, okay, just don't go telling everyone about what I can do. Only a handful of people know about it and I'd like to keep it that way." We stopped in the hall just outside the hanger. I turned to her, giving her a serious look. "That includes Theron."

"Theron doesn't even know?"

"He does not. Hell, the only reason you know is because we've gotten to be close enough friends for you to sense it. You're freakishly perspective when it comes to detecting the Force."

Lana put up her hands. "Don't worry, Nikka. Your secret is safe with me, but please, consider my offer."

Satisfied, Lana let the subject drop. We continued walking and entered the hanger. A ship full of mercenaries from Rogan had just arrived and Rio was on his way to talk with their leader. I looked up and stopped in my tracks.

"Son of a hutt." I said, turning my back, though I was fairly sure I hadn't turned quickly enough.

"What's wrong?" Lana asked, scanning the hanger, trying to see what I reacted so strongly towards.

"One of the damn mercenaries is my damn ex-husband. Thank the Force Theron is offworld. I am not ready to have my current lover meet my ex-husband." I made a mental note to ask Rogan if he knew one of the mercenary crews interested in joining the Alliance contained Corso. She knew Rogan didn't like Theron much, but if he intentionally sent Corso her way, she'd have to have a few words for her old friend.

"I'm guessing the one walking this way is him." Lana said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving whoever was approaching an unfriendly glare.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm myself. I then turned around and came face to face with Corso. He looked exactly the same as I remembered him. He always looked young, but he hadn't seemed to have aged at all. His hair was even the same.

"Nikka, I…"

I held up my hand. "No, you do not get to talk. We have nothing to say to each other."

"Let me just explain."

"Explain! Explain? You left me without so much as a note and now you want to explain?" I said, rather loudly. His crewmates were all looking our way. I figured I had a right to cause a scene.

"Shall I dispatch him for you?" Lana asked using a rather evil tone, reaching for her lightsaber. Corso seemed to shrink away from Lana a bit and rightfully so. Lana usually kept her Sith traits fairly locked down, but she could go into full Sith mode in seconds if necessary, to be intimidating.

I thought about it for a moment, then shook my head. "No. There are a few others who have already called dibs on that honor." I glared at him, but to his credit, he didn't try to talk. "I'll hear you out. One hour, in the cantina." I could sense Rio rounding the corner to the hanger. "That is, if you make it that long. You gotta talk to the commander, first."

Rio walked up behind me, in full armor. Even without the armor, Rio was a big man. With it, he was an intimidatingly big man. Corso had only met Rio on a handful of occasions, but recognition showed on his face as soon as my brother came into view.

"Commander, you remember Corso I assume."

The look Rio gave Corso was enough to peel paint and made Lana's initial look seem like a friendly nod. "I do. He's part of the mercenary group that just arrived?"

"I suggest you return to your crew." I said with a slight smile. "One hour."

Corso nodded and returned to his place among the other mercenaries. Rio placed a hand on my shoulder, then with a nod, continued into the hanger. The leader of the band approached and they began to talk quietly. I took the opportunity to get the hell away from Corso. Lana followed along.

"So, you're actually going to hear him out?" She asked.

"Yeah. I know him. He won't leave me alone until we talk, so I might as well get it over with. Besides, I'm curious what kind of excuse he's come up with after all these years."

Lana shrugged. "I'd just kill him and be done with it."

I stopped in the control room and pulled out my holo. A few seconds later, Bowdaar appeared.

"Hey, big guy. Can you meet me in the cantina in like thirty minutes?" I asked. Bowdaar had officially joined the Alliance when Rio had liberated the slave trade on Zakuul. I was thankful to have my wookie friend back.

"Of course. I'll see you there." He replied, not even questioning my motives for asking.

I turned off the holo and saw Lana almost laughing.

"I said I was curious, not stupid."

I headed towards the entrance and Lana hung back. "Are you going to be able to get this mess sorted out before Theron gets back?"

"I hope so!" I shouted back without looking. I could hear her chuckle before taking the lift back to the surface. I was glad someone was amused by my bad luck.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	28. Chapter 28

New chapter up. Thanks to everyone reading.

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**Nikka POV**

By the time I got to the cantina, I desperately needed a drink. Things had been going so well, I should have known something was going to go wrong. I guess it was just wishful thinking to believe I'd never run into Corso again. I didn't necessarily want him dead, but I didn't really want him in my life in any way, either. At least Bowdaar was around to back me up for our conversation.

I got a glass of my usual and a mug of the corellian ale Bowdaar had become fond of over the last year we were working together. I sat down at a table near the back and only had to wait five minutes for my wookie friend to join me. He greeted me with a friendly howl, then sat and took a long pull from the mug, barking appreciatively.

"Thanks for meeting me here, big guy. I need some backup."

Bowdaar cocked his head to the side.

"Corso will be here in about half an hour to talk. I didn't want to sit with him alone."

Bowdaar growled low in the chest. "I will beat the coward."

"I'm giving him a chance to explain. If I'm not satisfied, I'll let you do what you will, but I do want to hear what he has to say."

Bowdaar huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "He has not earned the right to speak with you."

I smiled up at my friend. "No, he hasn't, but I'm going to hear him out all the same. I'm feeling generous today."

About fifteen minutes later, Corso walked in alone. He looked around only once before heading towards me. He looked disappointed Bowdaar was with me, but also seemed happy to see me. I was giving him a look that could melt the hull of a ship.

"Thanks for talking with me, Nikka." He said, very carefully taking the seat across from me, the furthest from Bowdaar.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

"I was hoping we could talk alone." He replied.

Bowdaar growled deep in his chest and I had to chuckle.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can also say in front of Bowdaar. Honestly, you're just lucky I informed him you're on planet before he ran into you. You'd be a few limbs short right now." I leaned forward. "Now, I have things to do and places to be, so if you're going to speak your piece, I'd do it now."

He hesitated for a moment, looking down at his hands, which were resting on the table. He then looked up at me with the silly half smile he had when he was happy, but didn't want the whole room to know. "It's good to see you're doing well."

I sighed, shaking my head. "That is really not the direction you want to go right now. Here, let me help you. You can start by explaining to me why you thought leaving me without so much as a note was an okay thing to do. You were always so damned afraid to hurt women, even the ones trying to kill you, why did you think it was alright to leave me hanging. Doing what you did hurt me more than a slap across the face, you do know that, right?"

"What I did was cowardly and wrong, I know that. It was just...look at you...you're so far out of my league and there you were, training to be a Jedi. How could I ever compete with that?"

I scoffed. "Do I look like a Jedi to you, Riggs? Did you even bother to read the message I sent to you? Did you not read the part where I said I wasn't joining the Jedi, just learning to use and control my intuition?"

"I...I didn't know that." He looked down at the table. "I sorta...erased the message after the part where you said you were training with the Jedi."

My jaw dropped. "So, let me get this straight. You decided to leave me because I was training with the Jedi? Really? Really?" I looked over at Bowdaar and I could tell he was thinking the same thing I was. "You were really that stupid? You threw away a marriage after reading two lines of a two page message!?" I wasn't screaming, but I was talking very aggressively. Fortunately, the cantina was fairly empty and there were few people around us sober enough to eavesdrop.

"I made a mistake."

"A mistake. You call ruining our marriage a mistake. When you cooled down a little, did you even think to contact me? Explain what happened?"

"I thought about going back to you everyday. I would beat myself up at night, thinking about it. I just couldn't. I just couldn't admit to you or myself that I…"

"...was a coward with limited intelligence?" I finished for him, rather harshly.

"That I made the biggest mistake of my life. That I jumped to a rash conclusion. I think I talked myself into believing I didn't deserve you. As I said, you were always out of my league, but after those six months, you were too far out for me to justify being with you."

"Damn it, Corso, that wasn't your decision to make. All that out of your league garbage was only in your mind. I loved you Corso and I'm assuming you loved me. That should have been enough."

"I know and I'm sorry."

I sighed, not sure where else to go with the conversation. It was hard to hear that someone left because they were too angry to read a message and jumped to a false conclusion. Our relationship was terminated over a misunderstanding and Corso wasn't man enough to come back when he realized he made a mistake.

"So am I. I just wish you could have understood how important it was for me to do what I did. I wish you could be with a strong woman and not feel inferior. You're attracted to strong women, but deep down, you want someone you can take care of. You were raised with expectations for gender roles. It's not your fault."

We sat quietly for a few minutes, neither knowing where to go.

"I'm assuming you...moved on?" Corso asked, almost sheepishly.

"Did you think I'd take up a vow of celibacy? It's been like eight years, of course I moved on. You didn't ruin me for all other men...sorry." I might have been a little harsh, but I was still angry and the conversation was making my head hurt.

"I'm not surprised. Any man would be lucky to have you."

"So, now that we've cleared the air, can we function on this base? You're a good person, Corso, and a good fighter. My brother needs as many fighters as he can get. You'll be an asset, as long as you can be on this base with me and not get all weird if we're in the same room."

"I came here to join the Alliance. I didn't know your brother was the Alliance commander and I certainly didn't expect you to be here. I can still do my part."

I nodded. "Good, I'm happy to hear that." I stood, downing the last of my drink and slamming the empty glass back on the table. "Welcome to the Alliance." I said, leaving the table. Bowdaar only paused long enough to give Corso a meaningful look, as if to say 'Don't mess with me', then followed me out.

Once outside, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. One uncomfortable conversation down, one to go. I needed to find out when Theron was scheduled to be back on Odessen and intercept him before any of this got to his ears. It was hard to keep information hidden from him for any length of time, so I needed to be quick. It was entirely possible I was already too late.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	29. Chapter 29

New chapter up! I really like this story and I hope everyone is enjoying it just as much.

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**Nikka POV**

I sat off to the side of the hanger, watching as Theron's shuttle landed. It had only been a day since Corso arrived, so I was fairly confident Theron knew nothing about his presence, unless he had someone on base relaying information and that someone was paying very close attention to me. I doubted he was having me followed, though it wouldn't surprise me.

I stood and walked over to Theron as he exited the ship. He saw me and smiled.

"You must have missed me. You don't normally greet me at the ship when I come back from offworld." He said, pulling me towards him and kissing me quickly on the lips.

"I did miss you, but I have something I need to talk to you about and I wanted to make sure you heard it from me first."

Theron gave me a concerned look, but nodded. We headed to a quiet corner of the hanger.

"So, what's got you so worried?" He asked. "You do know it's never good when someone says 'we need to talk'. What'd I do?"

"It's nothing like that." I took a deep breath to steel my nerves. "You know that group of mercenaries that were supposed to arrive yesterday? The ones Rogan sent our way?"

Theron nodded.

"Well, they did arrive. My ex-husband was with them."

Theron's eyes widened.

I held a hand up, to stop him from speaking. "Before you freak out, I've already spoken to him and we've come to an agreement which will allow both of us to be here and not cause any issues."

"You talked with him alone?"

I scoffed. "Of course not. I'm not stupid. Bowdaar was with me. I was not going to talk to him alone. I would've been too tempted to shoot him. But I did let him explain himself. I know he didn't deserve it, but I was curious."

"Did he tell you why he left?" Theron asked, crossing his arms over his chest. If I knew Theron, he was probably thinking of several 'accidents' which could befall my ex.

"He did, but I don't really want to talk about it."

"Fair enough. He's not looking to get you back, is he?" Theron asked, sounding worried.

"Of course he is, but I shut that down right away." I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "I told him I've moved on and he'll just need to be okay with it or leave. As far as I'm concerned I traded way up."

Theron wrapped his arms around my waist. "Well...good. So, what I'm hearing is, you won't let me shoot him?"

"No, you cannot shoot him. Besides, if he tried anything, you'd have to get behind Rio and Bowdaar in line. They've known me longer."

"Well, by then, he'd be beaten to within an inch of his life and missing a few limbs. Barely worth shooting him at that point. Better to just let him die from blood loss. Shooting him would only put him out of his misery."

I slapped Theron on the shoulder. "Not funny. Please promise you won't do anything."

Theron pulled away and leaned up against the wall. "How about this...you point him out to me, then we stop by the cantina, grab a bottle of wine, then go back to your ship and I show you just how much I missed you."

I approached him, placing my hands on his chest. "You feel the need to claim what's yours. Very manly. It sounds like a plan, but I do have one caveat. Once you know who he is, you will not shoot him, stab him or do any other physical damage, unless he does something serious to deserve it. And no having him followed, either."

Theron pouted slightly, but nodded. I knew how his mind worked. He was a spy and he thought like one. Unfortunately for him, I'd been with Theron long enough that I knew a thing or two about thinking like a spy, too. "Agreed."

"Good." I took him by the arm and we headed into the base. "Let's go find Corso, so we can get to the claiming part of our evening."

* * *

**Corso POV**

I sat in the cantina with the guys, a drink in front of me, which I wasn't drinking.

It shouldn't have surprised me that Nikka was with the Alliance. She had always been good about being where the action was and with her brother being the commander and all. I had been so happy when I first saw her. Finally, I'd have the chance to explain things to her. I'd get a chance to make things right.

She had let me say my piece, but she was hostile and obviously didn't like me or trust me, since she asked Bowdaar to be there for our conversation. I really couldn't blame her. I'd been an idiot. It had hurt to learn she'd moved on. What had I thought, she'd swear off men if she couldn't have me? Part of me thought she would be like other Jedi and no longer allow herself to make personal attachments. That would have been easier to hear.

I had told her we could live and work together for the Alliance and that was what I planned to do, though I'd wait and watch. Before me, she'd never had a truly serious relationship. With any luck, she was still just as flighty with relationships and my chance might come again.

"Hey, Riggs." Lomo said, nudging me hard on the shoulder. "You alright, man? I asked you a question."

I snapped out of my musings. "Sorry. I was just thinking. What did you ask again?"

The zabrak snorted, then turned his attention to the entrance of the cantina. "I said, that's your ex, isn't it?"

I looked to where Lomo was looking and saw Nikka walk in, along with the man she had been with on Coruscant during her brother's funeral. They were talking quietly, neither of them looking in our direction. They headed to where her brother was currently sitting with one of his advisors.

"Yeah, that's Nikka." I said, finally taking a gulp of my drink. It was hard to see her with another man, even though they weren't touching in any way which would imply they were together.

The human next to me, Inep, whistled. "Damn, man. You were married to HER and just walked away. Did you honestly think you could do better?"

I stayed quiet. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to explain about her gifts with the Force. Not many people knew about her abilities and I didn't want to betray her trust. It wasn't my secret to tell, no matter the situation.

"If I had a piece of that, I'd…" Lomo began to say, still eyeing Nikka.

"I'd be careful if I were you." I warned. "She's the Alliance commander's baby sister, like a daughter to Rogan and her best friend's a wookie."

The comment made the guys stop talking, but we all watched her as she and her male friend walked over to join the commander.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

We walked into the cantina and I could sense Corso before I spotted him. I saw him with the corner of my eye, so as not to look directly at him. Theron stood next to me, waiting. I knew he had already taken a good look at the entire cantina, so when I pointed out Corso, he wouldn't need to look again to see him.

"Back table, the human between the zabrak and the other human. The one with his hair up on the back of his head." I said with a smile.

Theron nodded and we continued into the cantina towards the table where my brother and Lana were sitting. He got his look subtly and expertly, then gave me a confused look. "That guy? Not what I was expecting."

I laughed. "Trust me, he's probably the last person you'd ever guess was my ex-husband. He was never my type, but it worked. At least for a while."

Theron shrugged. "As per our agreement, I'll drop the subject and leave him alone. Let's collect that bottle of wine and get out of here...though I think your brother wants a word. I know that look."

I glanced over at Rio. He wasn't gesturing at all, but the look in his eyes showed Theron was right. We walked over to his table.

"Ah, Theron. I see you made it back. Mission go well?" Rio asked.

"As well as can be expected. Negotiations aren't always smooth. There's a lot of potential support out there, but getting any official backing is exhausting."

Rio nodded. "Well, if anyone can talk up the validity of our cause, it's you. I have complete faith in you, Theron." He looked over at me, then back at Theron. "Mind if I have a word with Nikka?"

"I'll head over and get that wine." Theron said to me, being followed by Lana.

I sat down next to Rio. I could tell he was mildly worried.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Are you gonna to be okay with Corso here? I know it can't be easy to have your ex-husband around, especially with Theron."

I smiled at Rio reassuringly. It was sweet he worried about my happiness, with everything else going on in the galaxy.

"It's fine. We talked and I think we can live on the same planet and both be fully functional. He's a good fighter and will be valuable to you. He knows I moved on, so I don't see him causing any trouble for Theron and I. I also just pointed him out to Theron. He's agreed not to bother him, so long as Corso keeps his promise to leave me alone." I took Rio's hand and squeezed it. "I love that you worry about me, when you have so much to worry about. Really. There are a half dozen people on this planet who'll hurt him if he tries anything and he knows it."

"I guess having the commander, a spy and a wookie watching, he'd be stupid to try anything."

"Oh, and a Sith. Lana offered to dispatch him for me, too. Her words. She also went all rigid and sithy. I actually considered taking her up on her offer for a few seconds. It would have been fun to watch."

Rio laughed and so did I. By then, Lana and Theron returned. Theron was carrying a bottle of red wine.

"What's so funny?" Lana asked, sitting back in the seat she had recently vacated.

"Oh, just discussing what it must be like to have this base gunning for you. Since three of you are here, I'm going to say again...leave it alone. We all have more important things to do. Corso will behave and if he doesn't, I'll probably be the one shooting him."

"And speaking of things to do…" Theron said, grabbing my hand and urging me to my feet. "...we have things to do. I'll give you a full debrief tomorrow morning, Commander."

We said our goodbyes and headed out of the cantina, still holding hands. I was sure Corso was watching and the vindictive part of me was loving his misery.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	30. Chapter 30

New chapter up. Enjoy.

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**Nikka POV**

I landed my ship on one of the merchant pads on Coruscant. Even though I spent most of my time with the Alliance, my status as a Republic privateer was still intact. I used my anonymity to help Theron keep an eye on the Republic. To learn, well in advance, if they were planning any kind of offensive against the Alliance. I was kinda enjoying being a spy and I'd learned all kinds of useful things from Theron.

I planned to slice into the military requisition forms from one of the medical centers. Unlike SIS reports and most military forms and reports, the forms used to requisition medical supplies weren't overly tracked or locked down. Apparently, it was important to hide the acquisition of ammunition, weapons and explosives, but not medical supplies.

What most people fail to realize, however, was that large operations requiring large amounts of medical support supplies, more often than not, also required large amounts of the more protected items. If they were stocking up multiple ships, it might mean a large offensive. Not to mention, thanks to Rio, I knew Elara's personal acquisition number. While I checked for any increase in medical supplies, I could also see if Elara was requesting anything. No matter what position she was currently occupying, she'd no doubt still be involved with medical matters. I was killing two birds with one stone.

Bowdaar had come with me this time around, but he stayed on the ship. As much as I loved having him around for backup, he was also very noticeable. I had an easier time being ignored when I was alone. Most security didn't bother to watch a lone woman walking into a medcenter.

I took a speeder to Justicar territory. I intentionally picked the medcenter in the worst part of Coruscant, knowing the medical staff would be few, possibly nonexistent. Not to mention, the area was still being heavily run by thugs and criminals, too involved with their own criminal activities to even notice mine. True, it wasn't the safest place to be, but Bowdaar was just a quick skip and a jump away and I left my comlink open. Anyone I couldn't handle on my own, I could certainly stall until my wookie backup arrived.

Besides, I was heavily armed and could pick up on someone's ill intentions long before a confrontation started. Sometimes it was nice being Force sensitive. Theron didn't necessarily like me going off on my own like this, but he was off negotiating with yet another potential ally and Rio was off trying to play nice with the mandalorians, with hopes of getting himself a nice, new gemini template. I was free to get into whatever trouble I wanted.

I arrived at the medcenter in question without incident. In fact, there were fewer people around than normal. The lack of people seemed odd, until I realized the medcenter was closed.

Taking the wrinkle in stride, I slipped to a side door and sliced my way in. It would only take me a few minutes to copy what I needed and get back to my ship. I could do most of my investigation with the copied files. Considering the break in, it seemed the wisest course of action.

I was halfway through my data dump when I felt someone approaching, though they paused outside the entrance where I had sliced in. They were obviously waiting for me to exit to confront me. As my data spike finished its copy, I pulled my lightsaber out from its place at the small of my back. I didn't carry the weapon often, but I usually kept it close when on Republic worlds. Not so much as a weapon, more as a symbol. People were much less likely to question the integrity of a Jedi, than some random woman with only a blaster.

Once the download was complete, I collected my spike, tucking it in a safe place that would not be found by a random physical body search. I also tucked my blaster behind my back and placed the lightsaber on my belt like it belonged there, then headed out the way I came. I was met outside the door by a Republic security officer with a blaster being held at head level. "Hold it right there!"

I quickly pulled my lightsaber, igniting the azure blade. I held the weapon defensively, almost like I knew what I was doing. The officer, upon seeing the blade, lowered his blaster without hesitation.

"Oh, sorry Master Jedi. I didn't know they assigned any Jedi to this area."

I closed down the lightsaber and reattached it to my belt. "That's quite alright. I'm out here on official council business. I'm afraid I didn't have time to make my presence known to local security."

"Do you need any assistance?" The officer asked, reholstering his blaster. This guy was being way too trusting, but who was I to argue. He was falling for my improvised disguise hook, line and sinker.

"I have what I came for, but I thank you for the offer. Now, If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the senate tower." I walked past him, but he turned and began to walk next to me.

"This isn't the best part of town, even with Republic security now having control of the area. I'd feel better if you'd let me escort you back to the speeder bay."

I stopped and turned to the young man, giving him a critical look. He couldn't be more than twenty years old. "I'm a Jedi Master. I'll be fine on my own."

"...of course...I didn't mean to imply…" He stammered. "It's just you're so...well…"

I smiled at him sweetly. "Yes, I'm a woman and I do appreciate a fine young man like yourself offering to escort me, but I'm quite well trained. I'll be in no danger." I spoke calmly and confidently. I had spent enough time around Jedi to know how to act like one.

"Of course. Good day, Master Jedi." The officer replied, almost blushing. He turned and headed back deeper into the territory.

I quickly headed back the way I came. I had fooled the young officer, but I needed to be off Coruscant before he made his daily report. If he didn't mention the encounter, I'd be fine, but if he followed normal procedure, he'd at least mention it in his report and chances were, his superiors were not as naive.

Fortunately, luck, or I guess the Force, was on my side and I was able to get back to my ship and head offworld with no incident. I was going to have to keep my distance from the planet for a bit, though, just to be safe.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	31. Chapter 31

New chapter up. Thanks for reading.

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**Security Chief POV**

My head was pounding and I'd only been working for an hour. Ever since taking back control of one third of the area considered Justicar territory, my job as head of Coruscant security had been made much more frustrating. For the most part, the takeover was smooth and my security force was having very little difficulty maintaining order. Apparently, the Empire had more important things to do than help supply a gang on Coruscant.

Most end of the day reports from my officers in that area were blissfully boring, but there were more reports now, which made my head hurt, regardless of their overly simplistic nature.

I continued to read over the reports, wanting to get them out of the way before I started on more important tasks. The second to the last report was from the new guy. Officer Waden had only been out of the academy for a month and on the job for two weeks. He was a good kid, but he was still timid and unsure of himself. His reports were always longer and more detailed than the more seasoned officers, but this report was even longer than usual.

I read and re-read the report. Why in the blazes was a Jedi breaking into the medical center in Justicar territory? As far as I knew, there were very few of the Jedi council left. It seemed odd that they would send a Jedi master out on some mysterious mission on Coruscant. I pulled out my holo and called my superior.

The holo only beeped once before being answered. "Good Morning, Captain Breen. I wasn't expecting a report from you today." General Lussic said.

"Good Morning, Sir. I was just wondering if you still have a contact within the Jedi council?" I asked.

The general gave me a confused look. "Yes, I can get into contact with them. What's wrong?"

"One of my men reported a Jedi breaking into a medcenter down in the newly claimed Justicar territory. He contacted the doctor stationed there and was told nothing was stolen, but it did look like whoever it was did a data dump of their computer system, copying the files. It seems like an odd thing for a Jedi to be doing."

Lussic was silent for a moment. "That is odd. Let me look into this. Send me a copy of the report, so I can confirm and see if you can dig up any surveillance footage. It's odd for the Jedi to be running some type of operation on Coruscant without notifying me. They usually let me know what they're doing, even if I don't understand it half the time."

"Understood, Sir." I replied. "I'll let you know when I have the footage."

* * *

**Lussic POV**

I leaned back in my chair, deep in thought. Why in the hell would anyone want to break into a medcenter? Break in and only take data. Relatively unimportant data. All medical terminals on Coruscant were locked down, so only medical information could be accessed on them. Patient records, medical supply requests and transfers, medical research, nothing of any real significance or value. Not to mention, breaking into friendly medcenters was not something Jedi were known to do. Something wasn't right.

I pulled out my holo and dialed up Tython. I knew for a fact there weren't many Jedi left on their council. Their grandmaster had abdicated her title and several of their most powerful masters had been killed over the last few years. As far as I knew, the Kel Dor, Master Gnost-Dural, was acting head of the council. It took several moments for someone to answer, but then they did, I was greeted by an alien face, wearing a breathing mask and eye protection.

"Greetings, General. What can I do for you?" Gnost-Dural asked.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Master Jedi, but I need to confirm the actions of one of your Jedi here on Coruscant. It seems an unidentified person, claiming to be a Jedi master, broke into a medcenter in Justicar territory and took a copy of their main computer database. The officer who confronted her said he was told that she was on Jedi council business."

"There are currently no Jedi on Coruscant working for the council." There was a slight pause. "Most unsettling."

"We're trying to pull some security camera footage now. Once I have a face, I'll send it to you. Maybe you can help identify her."

"Certainly, General. If there's someone wandering around Coruscant pretending to be a member of the Order, I'd like to know who it is. And If it is indeed one of us, I'd like to know what she's up to. Nothing official, as far as I know."

Another call was trying to get through my holo. "Hold a moment, Master Jedi, my officer is calling back. Maybe he has the footage."

I answered the holo and linked the feed into my call with Gnost-Dural.

"What have you found, Captain?"

"Almost nothing, Sir. We were able to track our mystery Jedi only back to the speeder bay in Justicar Territory. Not once the entire way to and from the medcenter, did she look at a camera. She obviously knew where the cameras were and knew exactly how to keep her gaze just at the right angle to prevent her image from being captured. She knew what she was doing. My officer says she was a young woman, late twenties or early thirties, five and a half feet tall, dark blonde hair and blue/green eyes. Definitely human, but that's it. She had a blue lightsaber and held it like she knew how to use it, or so my officer says."

"Does it sound like one of your people, Master Gnost-Dural?"

Gnost-Dural sighed. "Yes, too many of them. I'll need to check to see if any of them are on Coruscant, but just because she looked like a Jedi, doesn't mean she was one. I'll see what I can come up with on my end, General."

I nodded. "Most appreciated Master Jedi. I'll try to figure out exactly what she took and see if I can figure out what, if any of it, has a street value. Captain, send Officer Waden over to my office. I'd like to talk to him myself."

The Captain saluted and left the call, along with Master Gnost-Dural. I sighed. What in the hell did this woman do? What was she after? This was not how I planned my day to go, not by a longshot.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	32. Chapter 32

A bit of a transition chapter here. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

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I took my time returning to Odessen after escaping my mess on Coruscant. Their security department was probably pulling their hair out trying to figure out why the hell I stole what I stole. It was kinda funny, when I thought about it. I still enjoyed giving people a hard time. Some things never change.

Fortunately, I didn't take anything of any true value, so even if they figured out my identity, they'd have nothing too damning against me. I was almost positive they'd never figure out it was me, though. I was very careful with their automated security and even if I did run into the security officer again, he was probably too awed by being in the presence of an attractive female Jedi that he'd never remember my exact features.

I was just happy mimicking a Jedi was easy, as long as there was no fighting involved. I was next to useless with a lightsaber. I was happy that I took the time to purchase a blue crystal, rather than the original red. Not many Jedi carried red bladed lightsabers, though I made a mental note to get myself a lightsaber with a red blade to carry around on Imperial worlds, just in case. If this trick worked with Republic soldiers, there was no reason it wouldn't work with Imperials, too. It might even work better with them, since Imperials feared Sith.

I decided to stop by Port Nowhere, to confront Rogan about Corso being with the mercenary crew he sent our way. My friend swore he hadn't known. Considering he had only spoken to the leader of the crew, it made sense and I believed him. Rogan had no reason to lie, other than to spare my feelings, but he wasn't the type. He'd rather weather my anger, than hold back information which might make me mad.

After our quick stop, Bowdaar and I returned to the Alliance to find all hell had broken loose.

Rio had successfully captured the Gemini Template and had recruited the mandalorian clans to his cause. The young man serving as liaison between the Alliance and Mandalore was certainly nice to look at, though a little younger than I liked. I made sure to keep that thought to myself. Theron didn't need anything else to worry about, all things considered.

Shortly after returning with the template, Scorpio had thrown Rio a curveball, faking her own demise and taking over the Eternal Throne. It was a fast and confusing series of events and sounded like it had been the treacherous droid's intent the whole time.

So now, I sat as Rio and his advisers discussed what to do next. Scorpio was on the Throne, but didn't seem to desire to attack or cause trouble, at least not yet. Her motives for taking the throne were still a mystery. Arcann was on one of the Eternal Empire fleet ships, along with a small army not being controlled by Scorpio, for some reason. All we could do was wait for one of them to make a move.

Rio continued to talk quietly with Theron, but Lana broke off and walked up to me.

"Well, this seems to be a fine mess." I said.

Lana chuckled. "Seems like all we can manage these days." She looked over at Rio, then back at me. "I don't think it was wrong to bring Scorpio here. She was helpful and I'm not truly convinced she's against us. Whatever her plan is, I think we're only her enemy if we get in her way. Unfortunately, we have no idea what her plans are, so we can't even guess what we can do to prevent her from blowing Odessen out of existence."

"Well, if that were her goal, she'd have done it already." I replied, quietly.

Lana nodded. "My thoughts exactly. All we can do is wait and keep our eyes open. Force only knows what Arcann's doing with his army, though. He still doesn't know about Odessen, but that could change at any moment. I doubt he'll sit idle for long."

I stood, stretching my back. "One thing we can do is get some rest. Staying up, waiting for something that might take days or even weeks to happen, will only make us less efficient when the time comes."

"Again, you seem to read my mind. Your brother won't be hard to convince. He's practical about such things, but Theron…"

"Yeah, I know. One little stim implant and the man thinks he can go without sleep entirely. I'll talk to him."

We walked over to the small group by the main control hub. It looked like Rio was leaving things in Major Jorgan's hands. The soldier had not gone with them during Scorpio's plan, so he was still fresh enough to take over while Rio slept. Rio gave me a reassuring smile as he headed towards his chambers. I stood next to Theron.

"You need to get some sleep, too, ya know." I said. Truth be told, I was fairly exhausted myself. I was looking forward to sleeping next to Theron, after the last couple of weeks on my ship with only Bowdaar. All the sneaking around was exhausting and I didn't like sleeping alone.

"I'll be fine for a little longer." He replied, not looking in my direction.

"No you won't. Everyone else is off to get some rest. You and I need to sleep too and you know I hate sleeping alone." I gave his arm a slight tug.

Theron sighed and turned to me. "You're not going to let me get anything done, are you?"

I smiled up at him. "You know me so well. Besides, I can tell you about my adventure on Coruscant before we go to bed. It'll make a fine bedtime story."

Giving up, Theron logged out of the system he was in and allowed me to take his arm and drag him towards his chambers. When it came to sleeping arrangements, we traded off between my ship and his room. If only sleep was to be involved, we'd stay at his place. If more amorous activities were likely, we'd stay on my ship. Neither of us were very good at keeping the volume down when we were together and my ship afforded far more privacy.

"So, what happened on Coruscant? I thought you were just doing another medcenter run." He asked.

"That was the plan. I did what I usually do, visit a backwater medcenter and do a data dump on their medical supply files. This time, however, I picked a medcenter in Justicar territory, not knowing the area had recently been retaken by Republic security. The medcenter was closed, so I broke in."

"And you got captured." Theron theorized.

"I got discovered on my way out. Fortunately, the security officer was just a kid, probably fresh out of the academy. I was able to talk my way out of the confrontation, but I high-tailed it off the planet, anyway. I needed to be offworld before he reported the encounter to his boss, who would have surely been more suspicious of my actions than his officer."

"So, did you find anything interesting in the data, at least?"

"No, not really. Just the usual restocks. No large requests and no more requests than normal. I'd say it's just business as usual for the Republic. And, there were no requests from Elara Dorne. The trip was a bust, except to confirm nothing obvious is happening. Good thing, too, I'll probably need to stay away from Coruscant for a bit. Not sure what, if anything, would come from an investigation, if there even was one."

"Better to be safe than sorry, especially right now. I'm getting that nagging feeling something big is about to happen and I'd very much like you around when it happens. Not that you need someone to take care of you, of course, but I'll feel better having you near." Theron backpedaled. He knew I hated being treated like a damsel in distress.

"I'm gonna stay local, don't worry." I said. I didn't tell him that I was having the same sense of foreboding, though I have a feeling my uneasiness was coming through the Force. Either way, things were in motion.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33

New chapter up. Enjoy. :)

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I sat at one of the sensor terminals on Odessen, watching helplessly as Rio and several of his people, including Theron, flew up to confront Arcann. I had planned to fly up with Bowdaar to help run interference, but my plans had been shot down by both Rio and Theron. It was too dangerous, they said and they needed me to monitor the situation from the planet and help if Arcann tried to invade. It was an excuse if I'd ever heard one. They just wanted me out of the fighting and nowhere near Valkorion's children.

I wanted to argue, but Rio didn't need anything else to worry about except stopping Arcann, so I held my tongue and grudgingly agreed to stay behind. I quietly monitored the battle above, ensuring no unfriendly ships were descending on the planet. I doubted they would, since Arcann didn't care about this stupid little planet, or even the Alliance, really. He cared about Valkorion and since Rio was on his way up to his ship, Arcann had no reason to attack the planet. His father was coming to him.

That is, no reason to attack unless he defeated Rio, then he'd open up on the base in short order. I was praying to every god I had run across in my travels, that it wouldn't happen and that both Rio and Theron would return to me in one piece.

"How we lookin?" Major Jorgan asked from behind me. The soldier had also stayed behind, along with Kaliyo and Torian. I was alright with him and the mando, but I wasn't overly fond of Kaliyo. The Rattataki was a little too extreme for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not above a little rule breaking...or a lot of rule breaking...if the situation calls for it, but I had never been called a terrorist. None of my jobs required me to slaughter innocent people.

"So far, so good. The gravestone is making progress and nothing is heading in this direction. It looks like they successfully made it onto Arcann's ship."

"Relax Major Fuzzball. That fleet won't attack until the commander bites it."

I growled slightly, getting out of my seat and turning to face Kaliyo. "I've had enough of your mouth, Kaliyo. I'd be careful if I were you."

"A threat? Gee, I'm shaking in my boots. You only talk because you're the commander's sister and you know no one would dare touch you."

I got right up in her face. "No, I talk because I'm tired of your shit. I get why the commander keeps you around. You're good in a fight, but I swear by the Force, if you don't shut that trap of yours, I'll shut it for you. Permanently. Now go take your attitude to the cantina and get a drink. I'm sure if we get invaded, you'll be able to figure it out from there." I stood my ground, not taking my eyes off her until she looked away. I wasn't worried about Kaliyo. I'd sense it if she ever tried anything against me. She may have been good in a fight, but so was I and I was willing to bet I was better at cheating.

"Fine. I might just leave this crappy planet." She huffed off and I held my tongue. There was so much more I could say to her, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. Best to end things before they came to blasters.

I sighed once she was gone.

Major Jorgan laughed. "Well handled, Captain."

I looked at the Major and he was smiling at me. Torian also had the faintest of smiles.

"I genuinely hate that woman. I mean, I'm not the most lovable teddy bear in the world either, but she just loves to push things right up to the edge, just to see if they'll fall. I honestly don't know how you've managed to work around her for this long and not shoot her." I said to Jorgan. "You must have the patience of a saint."

"I have years of training dealing with people like her."

I laughed. "It's probably a good thing Rio's the commander around here and not me. I don't have the temperament or patience to be a diplomat. I'd probably have shot her a long time ago."

"Would have been doing us a favor." Jorgan replied. "Hopefully, she won't go after you in your sleep."

I pulled a small device out of my pocket and showed it to Jorgan. "She won't"

"What is that, a tracker?"

I smiled and nodded. "I planted a subcutaneous device on her weeks ago. It's both a bug and a tracker. Neat little device I picked up the last time I visited some Nikto tech geeks I befriended a few years ago. The implant is completely undetectable. I record every word she says and know exactly where she is at all times." I tucked the device back into my pocket. "I figured she was someone that needed to be watched."

"Sneaky. Would have been easier to kill her." Torian added, talking for the first time. The mandalorian had been quietly listening to our conversation and though he seemed to agree with our assessment of Kaliyo, he didn't feel the need to comment. He was the strong, silent type. He made me miss Akaavi. She only spoke when there was something worth saying.

"Maybe, but I'm not an assassin or a bounty hunter. Not yet, anyway. I'll stick to smuggling and information brokering...and the occasional bit of slicing." I shrugged. "Ya know, the stuff I'm good at."

We returned to the terminal and continued to watch and wait.

* * *

I slipped out of the party quietly, while no one was paying attention.

I saw my brother leave the victory celebration after only about an hour and had waited another hour to ensure he wasn't going to return on his own, before going out to look for him. I was fairly confident I knew where he had wandered off to, considering his troubled mind. I carried with me two mugs of ale. I had a feeling he'd need another drink.

I found Rio looking out over the deserted hanger, just where I knew he'd be.

"I'll never understand why you find hangerbays relaxing." I said, handing over one of the mugs to Rio. He took it with a smile and a nod.

"It's not over, Nikka."

I sighed audibly. "Yeah, I know. Arcann is still alive, Scorpio is in command of the fleet and who the hell knows what happened to Vaylin."

"I doubt we're lucky enough to have her die in the explosion."

"Probably not. Force users are notoriously hard to kill." I said, sitting on the edge of the elevated walkway, my legs dangling off the side. Rio sat next to me. "But this was a victory, Rio. The galaxy now knows the Eternal Fleet isn't invincible. You've given everyone hope and hope can be the best victory."

Rio actually chuckled. "You sound like a Jedi."

I put my mug down next to me and slap Rio on the shoulder. "Watch your mouth!"

This made Rio laugh full out and I couldn't help but laugh with him. I hated to be compared to a Jedi and he knew it. The comment broke the tension of the situation nicely.

"I know it's a victory, Nikka. A well earned one. I'm glad everyone is getting a chance to celebrate for a change." He looked down at his mug, then took a long pull from it. "I just worry about what comes next."

"You can worry about what comes next tomorrow." I picked up my mug and held it up to him. "For now, here's to your victory. Hard fought and well earned."

"And, to living to fight another day." He added.

We clinked glasses and downed our drinks. The war might not be over, not by a long shot, but it had still been a good day.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	34. Chapter 34

Two chapters in one night. Go me.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I woke up to the sound of Theron getting dressed.

It had been two weeks since Rio's victory over Arcann and it had been fairly quiet in wild space. We had learned that Scorpio had given the Eternal Throne to Vaylin, which was worrying considering the female sibling was far less stable than her brother, but she had yet to do anything with her newfound title and fleet. We could only wait until she made a move.

I hated to admit it, but I was enjoying getting to spend some uninterrupted time with Theron. After my marriage failed, I swore I'd never get into a relationship like it again. Now here I was, exclusive with another man. A spy, of all people. Things were different with Theron, though. Time with him was easier and less forced. We got along better than I ever had with Corso.

"Sorry to wake you." Theron said, sitting next to me on the bed once he was fully dressed. "I just got a call for Sana-Rae. She's requesting to return to Voss to have a vision interpreted and she thinks it would be best to take some backup. She seems to think something is about to happen on Voss. I'll probably be going with her."

I sat up in bed, doing my best to wake up. "Let me know what's going on before you head out, okay?" I asked, accepting the kiss he offered me. If Sana-Rae had a vision, then it probably meant something. I wasn't as Force sensitive as a Voss mystic, but I did believe in the power they held. Their visions were powerful tools...or powerful warnings, depending on the situation.

"I will. You be careful too. I don't like you going to Nar Shaddaa all on your own."

I snorted. "Nar Shaddaa is practically a second home to me, Theron. I'm more comfortable on Nar Shaddaa than on Coruscant. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, I'll take my usual backup with me. You know nothing says 'leave me alone' quite like a heavily armed wookie. Not to mention it seems Major Jorgan and a couple former Republic commandos have volunteered to come along as well."

Theron laughed. "Good. I know you can take care of yourself, but it's just the message you got. A set of coordinates on Nar Shaddaa and that's it? It might be the paranoid spy in me talking, but it's suspicious."

"I'll be fine. You just stay that way, too. If Sana-Rae is seeing something in her visions, then something must be about to happen. Voss visions are spooky accurate, or at least from my experience."

Theron smiled at me. He really did have a nice smile. He gave me one more kiss, then headed out of my ship. I sighed, laying back down. I had to get my butt moving too. The mysterious message I received wasn't going to investigate itself and my borrowed team of ex-Republic soldiers would arrive soon to get going to Nar Shaddaa. Not to mention, Bowdaar got cranky when I made him wait. There was nothing worse than traveling with a cranky wookie.

* * *

I walked casually to the location sent to me in the message with a smile on my face. It happened to be my favorite cantina on Nar Shaddaa. Even after all these years of playing respectable for the Alliance, I still felt right at home on the Smuggler's Moon. It was nice to know some things hadn't changed.

Bowdaar was stationed a few paces from the entrance of the cantina, ready, just in case this was some type of trap. My military backup was also on the promenade, but had stationed themselves a bit further back, pretending to do a little weapon and armor shopping near the cantina. Major Jorgan knew how to blend in on Nar Shaddaa. This wasn't his first rodeo.

I walked into the cantina and ordered a drink. I had no idea if the person or persons I was to meet were here yet or not, but figured I might as well get a drink and get comfortable. I took my drink and headed to the table off to the side. I scanned the room with both my eyes and the Force, not finding anything or anyone of interest.

Lana had been working with me to help hone my situational senses. I knew the basics from my training with Master Satele, but the Sith perspective on the same abilities was interestingly different. The Sith were far more paranoid about their surroundings. I hated to admit it, but her advice and guidance did help.

I sat alone at the table, sipping my drink. I was wearing an earpiece, connected to both Bowdaar and my team of soldiers. They had seen nothing unusual.

Sometime around the half hour mark of my wait, I sensed someone familiar approaching from the far back of the cantina, probably from one of the private rooms. I'd begun to notice that if I spent enough time around the same people, I was able to pinpoint them from a crowd using the Force. It really was a handy trick. I smiled as Risha approached my table. She looked good, though perhaps a bit less relaxed than when I'd seen her last.

"Good to see ya again, Captain." She said, taking a seat with me.

"Same, Risha. I was beginning to think you got lost all these years...or was sitting pretty on Dubrillion."

A look of sadness flashed on Risha's face for a fraction of a second. "Things have been a bit rocky since we parted ways." She said sadly. "Dubrillion is gone. Sacked by Vaylin, under the orders of Arcann. There's nothing left to rule over."

I sighed. I'd heard Arcann had ordered the destruction of several planets, but I hadn't heard which ones. "I'm sorry, Risha. I knew taking back your royal claim was important to you."

Risha waved it off. "I was never cut out to be a queen, anyway. I think I always knew it, deep down, but I had worked for so long to get that cursed crown back for my father, I guess I started to believe my own delusions. Anyway, I spent a year looking for you, ya know. You just kinda dropped off the map after your brother was officially declared dead."

"Yeah...I met back up with our favorite former SIS spy after Rio's funeral. We spent the next four years looking for my brother. I didn't actually mean to go off the map for as long as I did, but it was necessary."

Risha shrugged. "Things seemed to have worked out for you, from what I hear. Your brother has really made a name for himself this time, hasn't he? Alliance Commander."

"Still good at finding things out, I see."

"Not really." Risha said with a shake of her head. "If I were that good, it wouldn't have taken years to track you down. As it is, I only know about your brother's new title because of his kicking of Arcann's ass and my underworld connections. And speaking of underworld connections…"

I chuckled. "Yes, the Alliance is always looking for more skilled individuals capable of procuring the impossible to procure."

Risha smiled. "Good to hear. It'll be nice to be back. I'm assuming Bowdaar is still hanging around you?"

"We parted ways for a bit, but yes, he's back with me. He's actually right outside the door, along with my other guys."

"Guys?" Risha asked, raising an eyebrow. "You collected yourself a harem while I was gone?"

"Of course not." I said, rolling my eyes. "I can usually get by with just Bowdaar as backup, but I had some volunteers this time around. Some former Republic spec force soldiers who knew my brother before all this mess started. Your message was suspicious and I think some of the soldiers were bored enough to want to tag along."

"Interesting. Now, you say you 'met back up' with our dear Agent Shan. How 'met back up' are you?" She asked, sounding just as gossipy as I remembered.

"Very." I replied, taking a sip of my drink.

Risha's eyes widened. "Very, as in, married?"

"No. Not sure I'll ever do that again, but we're pretty much exclusive. We share a bed whenever we're on the same planet. And sometimes, we're only sleeping."

"The true sign of commitment." Risha laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with her. "Well, I guess some things do change."

"And some things don't. Corso is a part of the Alliance, too."

"Well, son of a hutt. How's that working out for you?"

"Not too bad. He's still alive after several months, even with a half dozen people just waiting for him to screw up so they can kill him in some horribly painful way. He'd probably make a move on me, if I hadn't shut that down the very first hour he was there. I did find out why he left me, though."

"Really? Do tell." Risha asked, leaning back in her chair.

"I wrote him a two page letter, explaining what I was doing on Tython and why. Apparently, he only read two lines of it, then deleted it out of anger."

"So you mean…" Risha said, pausing slightly out of astonishment. "...your whole happy marriage was ruined because he couldn't be bothered to read a letter? Let me guess, knowing our farm boy, he probably thought you were leaving him to become a Jedi, or some such nonsense."

"Exactly. You'd think he'd have known better. You'd never believed I was turning into a Jedi, right?"

"Jedi, no. Not in a million years. You'd be a lousy Jedi." She held her hand up. "Don't get me wrong, I'm sure you could be one physically, if you trained enough, but you're too...dishonest...to pull it off for long."

I laughed. "I've missed you, Risha."

"Right back at ya, Captain." She downed her drink in a final gulp. "Now, let's go collect Bowdaar and your pack of burly soldiers and go somewhere cleaner. I love this moon and all, but I'm ready to get the hell outta here."

I downed my drink and nodded. "Meet back up at the ship, guys. We're done here." I radioed to everyone, then headed out of the cantina. Bowdaar would probably wait for me outside the door. I just hoped Risha would get away without any broken ribs when the big guy saw her. My big, furry bodyguard was a hugger.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35 up. Enjoy. :)

* * *

**Nikka POV**

"What in the hell do you mean, they went to Dromund Kaas?!" I asked angrily. "I was only gone a few days, how did a trip to Voss turn into a visit to the Imperial capital?"

Admiral Aygo sighed, obviously not exactly happy about the situation himself. "The short version...the Eternal fleet attacked Voss. We later learned that Senya had taken Arcann there to be healed, which was why the fleet was attacking. Vaylin was trying to wipe out her entire family, the people on Voss just got in the way. During the battle, an Imperial fleet led by Empress Acina arrived and backed up our fleet and the gravestone. Combined, we were able to drive back the Eternal Fleet. Acina invited the commander to meet with her on the Imperial homeworld and the commander accepted her offer. Lana and Theron went with him."

"Of course they did." I mumbled. "I can't believe that not one of them thought this might be a bad idea. Rio is a former leader of Havoc Squad, Theron is a former Republic SIS agent and Lana, last we heard, was still considered a traitor to the Empire. Now all three of them are on Dromund Kaas, surrounded by potentially hostile forces."

"That's the gist of it, yes." Aygo confirmed. "Acina's wish to be allies seemed authentic, but you can never tell with Sith."

I sat down with a sigh. "Wonderful."

"Don't worry, Captain, the commander can take care of himself." Jorgan assured me, then headed out towards the hanger.

"Hold on, we have a holomessage coming in." Aygo said, activating the holoterminal. A familiar figure stood before us and I got an extremely bad feeling through the Force.

"This is Leontyne Saresh. I have learned about the unfortunate fate of your commander and would like to extend my sincere condolences on his loss. I am traveling to Odessen to talk to you about what I can do to help lead you to victory after these tragic events." The holo call ended and the room was quiet.

"What the hell is she talking about?" I asked. "What unfortunate fate?"

"Hold on, I'm going to get Theron on the line." Aygo said. After a few seconds, Theron and Lana appeared before us.

"Not a good time, Bey'wan." Theron said. I could tell he was worried.

"We just got a message from Saresh. She's on her way here. She sent her condolences on the commander's loss."

"She didn't waste any time, did she." Lana replied. "The commander and Acina were in a shuttle crash. There has been no confirmation of either of them being dead. How in the hell did Saresh find out about all of this so quickly? There's something fishy going on here, I can feel it."

"We'll figure everything out once we find the commander. Lana and I are on our way to look for him now. Don't write him off just yet. Send Saresh packing as soon as she lands." Theron said.

Jorgan came into the room, scowling. "That message was received all over the base. Some of the men want to hear her out. They're afraid things are going to fall apart without Commander Drucos."

"Dammit." Theron swore. "Stall her as long as you can. We're on our way."

I stood, crossing my arms over my chest. "The gall of that woman. She thinks she can do a power grab from both the Alliance and the Empire, as if either faction would blindly follow her. I bet she's responsible for the shuttle accident. She has to be working with someone in the Empire. How else would she know about all of this, moments after it happened."

"She might just succeed if Theron and Lana can't find the commander." Argo said, sounding just about as happy as I was. Not a single person with any kind of power liked or trusted Leontyne Saresh. She had screwed over the Republic and now she planned to try to become the leader of everything, outside of the Eternal Empire. The twi'lek was insane.

* * *

**Rio POV**

We arrived just as Saresh was making her grand speech to rally the Alliance to her side. The look on her face when she saw me approach through the crowd would have been funny, if she hadn't just tried to have me assassinated.

The former chancellor had hired the genoharadan to kill both myself and Empress Acina, so she could take control of both the Alliance and the Empire. Minister Lorman had helped arrange it all on the Imperial side. It made me wonder what she had promised him, once she took control. It took everything in my power to convince Acina not to execute Lorman on sight. She may have just been humoring me, waiting until I left to kill him. I was mostly alright with that.

The whole scheme would have been quite a coup, if it had worked. Unfortunately for Saresh, I was damned hard to kill. With everything I'd gone through in my life and my career, and all the people who have tried to kill me and failed, why in the hell did she think she'd have better luck?

Lana, Theron and I cornered her on one side of the hangerbay platform, where she was conducting her speech. She turned to escape down the other side, but found her way blocked by Hylo Visz and Nikka, both had their blasters out.

"Surprised to see me alive?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. It actually felt kinda good to not have to show Saresh any kind of respect. When she was chancellor, I had no choice, but now, she was in my territory. She was now surrounded by people who were not happy with her and were still very much loyal to me.

"The Alliance needs a leader like me. I saw an opportunity and I took it." She barked.

"An opportunity? Arranging the assassination of faction leaders is an opportunity?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I won't apologize for it." Saresh said, making what little bit of a stand she could.

"We are way passed apologies at this point." Lana relied. I could see her seething under her normally unshakable exterior. She wanted the twi'lek dead. She was using every bit of restraint she had to prevent the Sith in her from just killing Saresh where she stood.

"So, what do we do with her?" Theron asked, sounding almost as eager to kill Saresh as Lana. He had a very bad history with the former chancellor. He certainly wouldn't shed any tears if she died.

"Execution, I would think." Saresh replied. "It's what Vaylin would do. It's what I would do."

"That's the difference between us. You get to enjoy Alliance hospitality inside a prison cell for a very long time." I replied.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I watched as Theron escorted Saresh to the detention area. I could sense his elation through the Force. Saresh had been responsible for his suspension from the SIS after the events on Ziost, using him as a scapegoat for her mess. There were few people Theron truly despised on a personal level, but she was one of them. He was enjoying this small bit of revenge.

I was also sensing something odd from Lana. She was beyond angry at Saresh, but it wasn't the same type of anger as Theron. It was more like anger from being protective. She wasn't happy about the attempted coup, but I could sense she wanted to take revenge for the assassination attempt on Rio.

I had begun to get odd feelings from Lana, directed towards my brother. She was slowly getting more and more attached to him, though outwardly, she was still the same old Lana. I was getting the feeling she was falling in love with him, but she was respectful enough to keep her distance.

Rio actually shared her feelings, once in a while, but his devotion to his wife was probably holding him back. I just wished I could find Elara, so at least he could either get back together with her or end it, depending on what time had done to the relationship. The lack of closure wasn't good for him. I made a mental note to double my efforts.

But first, I had to go find Theron. Once he was done locking Saresh away, he would be in an amazingly good mood. I was looking forward to experiencing the rare good mood with him.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	36. Chapter 36

It's a two chapters in one day, kinda day.

* * *

**Nikka POV **

"Well, life support is back up, so at least we won't freeze or suffocate to death." I said, pulling myself out of an access hatch on my ship.

"We're damn lucky to be alive at all, Cap." Risha said, emerging from the engine room. "The Gravestone could have blown us to spacedust. You pulled out of its direct line of fire just in time. What in the hell happened?"

"The distress call." I said, replacing the panel over the hatch and turning to my crewmate. "It was a trap. I didn't sense it until it was too late to warn Koth. If they had contacted us directly, I probably would have, but since we only piggybacked on the signal...I'm just not that powerful."

Risha put a supportive hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault. You were able to save us, at least. No point dwelling on it now."

The internal comm clicked on and was followed by Bowdaar's growl. "Communications are still down. We won't be able to contact anyone, anytime soon. I might be able to rig up a transmitter for short range communications, but it will take time."

"Yeah, do it. Something is better than nothing." I replied over the comm. "Damn. No way to warn Odessen. How are the engines?" I asked Risha.

"We're limping, but mobile. It's going to take a couple of months at this speed to get back to Odessen. I'm trying to patch together something to allow us one good hyperjump, but I have to wait until the damn motivator cools for my idea to have any chance of working. It'll be a couple of hours at least and even then, it won't be enough to get us all the way home."

I sighed, leaning against the wall. "So what you're saying is that we're almost dead in the water. Well, I guess that's better than being dead. I only hope someone on the Gravestone was able to send out a message home before being taken over. That ship in Vaylin's hands would spell the destruction of the Alliance and possibly the galaxy."

"I hope we jumped far enough away from the Gravestone that they won't realize we survived. I'd hate for them to turn around to finish the job." Risha added.

I nodded. "That would be good, too."

* * *

**Rio POV**

Koth's holo to Odessen ended suddenly and it took only a heartbeat for us to spring into action. We had to get to the Gravestone before Vaylin's hijacking succeeded fully. Koth had locked things down, but Scorpio was onboard, so the lockout wouldn't last long. We could not let the most powerful ship in the galaxy remain in her hands.

We all headed towards the hanger bay, but Theron grabbed my arm and held me back.

"Commander…"

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. You tried to contact her?" I asked.

Nikka had been out with The Blade's Edge, flying alongside the gravestone, along with three other smaller vessels, for support. Koth said the gravestone had fired on the smaller ships, but hadn't said anything about their fate.

"I can't raise any of the ships with the gravestone." Theron replied.

"We need to get to the gravestone or everything could be lost. I'm choosing to believe that Nikka's ship was damaged and her communications are down. We can't worry about her now." I said, though it pained me. I could tell the truth pained Theron as well.

Theron nodded. "I know. I'll keep trying. Maybe when we get closer to where the gravestone was first taken, I'll be able to pick up something."

"Let me know if you get anything." I said, as we both hurried along to catch up with the others at the hanger bay. I put my worries about Nikka to the side as best I could and I knew Theron was doing the same. We both knew what was at stake if we failed to get the gravestone back.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	37. Chapter 37

New chapter up. Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Rio POV**

I stood out in the hanger, deep in thought, though I wasn't sure what I was thinking about. It had been almost three weeks since Vaylin tried to take the gravestone and almost a full week since we managed to escape Iokath. We were now making plans to infiltrate Vaylin's coronation party, but there was one thing that kept dividing my attention.

We had yet to hear anything about the four ships which had been accompanying the gravestone when it was taken. Almost everyone was assuming they were all lost, since investigation of the area revealed a debris field and little else.

Lana quietly joined me in the hanger. "The last patrol just came in. Still nothing." She reported sadly. "I'm not saying she's dead, Commander, but…"

I nodded. "I know. I realize it's probably pointless to keep searching, but part of me still thinks she'll show up."

Lana took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "I haven't given up hope yet, Rio. The Force is telling me there is still a chance."

Taking my hand was a very un-Lana like thing to do. Calling me by my nickname was even less like her. I couldn't remember a single time she had ever called me anything other than my rank or title. The gesture was appreciated, but it made my heart ache.

I missed Elara. I missed her more than I could say, but I was starting to see Lana in a different way. The Stih was one of the few constants in my life. No matter what seemed to happen, or how bleak things got, she was always by my side and in my corner. She was important to me and that fact made things all the more confusing. And complicated.

I squeezed her hand back, smiling down at her. "Thanks, Lana."

We stood in silence for a few minutes, but our moment was interrupted by the beeping of my holo. I pulled my hand away from Lana's, slightly irritated by the holo which replaced it.

"Sorry to interrupt, Commander, but we're getting a transmission, audio only. It's very weak, but I think it's from The Blade's Edge." Theron said excitedly.

"I'm on my way." Lana and I both rushed to the control room.

When we arrived, Theron was feverishly working on the communications terminal.

"I've almost got it, Commander. If I hadn't been standing right here, I would have missed it entirely. As it is, it's an almost nonexistent signal. One second...there, got it!"

"...repeat...Odessen, this is The Blade's Edge, do you read us?" Came a familiar voice.

"We read you, Blade's Edge. Nikka, is that you?" I replied.

There was an audible sigh from the transmission. "Thank the Force. It's about time we got close enough for you to receive our signal."

"It's good to hear your voice, Nikka. What's your status." I tried to hide the relief in my voice, but I think I was failing miserably.

"Mobile, but barely. The shot from the gravestone almost turned us to spacedust. We got out of the way just in time, but we were crippled. Everything was offline. Fortunately, we were able to get life support fully operational, but we were only limping along and had only short range communication. We just performed a hail mary hyper jump, as Risha called it. It finally got us close enough for the transmitter Bowdaar set up to communicate."

"How far away are you?" Theron asked.

There was a slight pause. "Looks like about twelve hours, give or take."

"We can send a rescue shuttle." I said.

"Don't bother." Nikka replied. "We've been going like this for almost a month now. Another twelve hours won't kill us. This is a smuggling ship, remember."

I chuckled. "Meaning you have enough supplies on board to last at least a year."

"Two, if we rationed. We haven't even run out of booze yet. Just make sure to have a repair crew ready when we land. Probably a good idea to clear a big space for us, too. Not sure how well the old girl will take the landing."

"We'll make preparations. Just be safe." Theron replied.

"Hey, it's me." She replied. "See you in a few."

The transmission ended and Theron took a seat, leaning back with a sigh. I clapped a hand on his shoulder. I didn't need to be Force sensitive to feel his relief. I mirrored my own.

"I'm right there with you, Theron."

Our preparations to infiltrate Zakuul would go smoother now, knowing Nikka was still alive.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	38. Chapter 38

New chapter up. I'm on a roll now with posting. Enjoy.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

"We've got another problem, Captain" Risha said from the pilot's chair as I entered the cockpit. I took a seat in the copilot chair and swung around so I was facing the console.

"Shocking. What now?"

"The landing struts aren't responding. I've got Bowdaar down trying the manual override. This is going to be a very bumpy landing without legs."

"Crap." I suddenly heard frustrated growling and the banging of metal on metal from deeper in the ship. "And it sounds like Bowdaar isn't having any luck with the manual override."

Two minutes later, Bowdaar came in grumbling about his failure.

"It's alright, big guy. Just add it to the long list of shit that will need fixing once we get on the ground." I tapped the transmitter. "Odessen, this is Blade's Edge."

Theron's voice replied. "We got ya on our sensors, Nikka. We've also evacuated everyone on your landing pad. You should be clear."

"Great, but we have one more slight problem. Our landing struts are stuck and the manual release is not responding. You don't happen to have Tora sitting around there somewhere, do ya?"

Tora was an amazing engineer. Even Risha thought so, which was one hell of a compliment. She had done most of the work on my ship since joining the Alliance and I trusted her. I trusted very few people with my ship. After having it stolen by Skavak, I wasn't taking chances.

"Tora here." I heard after a few moments of pause. Obviously, the engineer had been on standby for my arrival.

"Hey, Tora. Any thoughts on how to get the landing struts to lower if the manual release isn't working?"

"You don't ask for much, do ya, Captain?" She replied. "If the manual won't work, we'll need to wiggle in there and force them down. You got no options with just the three of ya up there. Nothing to do about it until you land."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. I guess we'll have to bellyflop her in and worry about the struts later. You can add it to the very long list of repairs. Just please make sure there's nothing on the landing pad, so I don't damage the haul anymore than it already is. We'll be attempting to touchdown in like ten minutes."

"Will do, Cap. Good luck." Tora replied.

"Bellyflop? Really?" Risha commented.

"Do you have any better ideas?" I asked.

Risha wanted to argue, but we had precious few options. With a frustrated sigh, she nodded. "I guess we can't just hover until we get them unstuck. This ship wasn't exactly designed to lay flat on her stomach, but I'll do my best to keep the damage to a minimum."

"Bowdaar, can you go check and make sure the upper hatch is still operating. I'd hate to land on our only functional way out."

"Already checked. The upper hatch is fully operational." Bowdaar barked.

I leaned back in my seat. "It's good to hear something is." I watched out the window and the ground got closer and closer. "Here goes nothing."

* * *

**Rio POV**

We watched as my sister's ship slowly lowered closer and closer to the landing pad, it's landing thrusters firing here and there to keep the ship level. When the ship was about a half a foot from the pad, the engines cut and the ship dropped. There was a slight vibration along the pad, but for the most part, it was the best landing the poor ship was capable of performing. I sighed in relief when the ship was finally on the ground.

Even from a distance, I could see just how close they had come to being vaporized. The haul was definitely worse for wear, but at least they survived. Nikka always said the Blade's Edge was a tough little ship. I now believed her.

The top hatch popped and Bowdaar climbed out, then helped Nikka and Risha out. One of our techs pushed a standing ladder to the side of the ship, so the three travelers could climb down. Nikka turned and paused, looking at her ship.

"Wow. I thought the damage looked bad from the inside." She walked towards me, shaking her head. "It's pure luck we didn't get scavenged on our way here."

I pulled Nikka into a hug, lifting her off the ground.

"I'm happy to see you too, ya big lug. Put me down." She said happily.

"I'm shocked you're still alive, looking at the state of the ship." Tora said, walking around the closest side. The engineer was never one to mince words. "This is going to take alot of work to get spaceworthy again."

"Blame the gravestone." Nikka replied to Tora. "By the way, how'd you get the gravestone back from Vaylin?" She asked, turning to me. Obviously, she'd seen the larger ship on her way down.

"That is a long story and we'll both need a drink in our hands to tell it." I looked behind me as Theron walked in. He had been monitoring Nikka's approach in the control room. "We'll talk later." I turned, giving Theron a smile as I headed to the control room, giving Theron and Nikka some privacy.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

Theron hugged me. He hugged me very tightly.

"Sweetie, I need to breathe." I reminded him. He let me go, but drug me to the far end of the hanger, where we could have a measure of privacy.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked.

I nodded. "Only bumps and bruises. They're all pretty much healed now. We were lucky."

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd been killed." Theron said, looking at the ground. He looked into my eyes. "I love you."

My eyes widened and I was fairly sure my mouth was hanging open. Neither of us had ever said the L word. Not to each other. Not in any serious way. This admission was serious. Theron started to look panicked, like maybe he was regretting saying it, but I pulled him back into a hug before he could backpedal.

"I love you too." I said quietly.

Nothing else was said. There was really nothing else to say. We just stood in the hanger bay, holding each other. Both of us acutely aware of how close we had come to being separated permanently.

* * *

A few hours later, I sat in the cantina, having a quiet drink with Rio. Lana and Theron were making final preparations for their party crash, leaving my brother and I a chance to talk privately.

"So tell me something Nikka, seriously, how much of your survival was luck and how much of it was your Force sensitivity?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing me closely.

"Mostly the Force, I think. I didn't sense the deception early enough to get out of the way completely." I said with a sigh, not liking to admit my ship had been saved by the Force.

"Lana keeps telling me you're more powerful than you realize. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't want you to become a Sith. Not a true Sith, anyway, but you really should focus on training up those abilities of yours."

"Not you too." I grumbled. "Lana's being a royal pain in the ass about doing more and more training with me. She's even got some of the local Jedi in on it too. Now you. Why is this so important all of a sudden?"

Rio gave me a worried look. "Things are changing. Whatever Valkorion has planned, if I defeat Vaylin…" He took my hand, which was an odd gesture for him. "...I just want you capable of taking care of yourself and others, if something bad should happen to me. If you're forced to fight me."

I was shocked. "You think Valkorion might try to take you over?" I asked quietly.

"That's his MO. I haven't said any of this to anyone else. I trust you to keep this quiet. I just what you...no...need you to be ready. Learning the Force is important, Nikka."

I could sense his worry. His concern. Dammit. "Okay, I'll talk to Lana. But I still want to keep this from Theron."

"Why?" Rio asked, obviously confused. "You just said you loved him. You can trust him with this."

"Something deep down in my mind is telling me to keep it from him."

Rio shrugged. "I guess I can't ask you to study the Force, but try to convince you to ignore the Force too. I'll keep it quiet."

"Thanks Rio. I can't really explain why he needs to be kept in the dark, but every fiber in my being is telling me to keep it a secret. If I decide to let Lana train me more, and that's a big if, I'll need to do it in a way to keep it quiet."

"Lana's sneaky. She'll go with it. She's a Sith, after all. It's sometimes easy to forget."

I nodded. "She's a Sith." I just didn't really want to be one too. But, if me training with Lana would give Rio some peace of mind, then I'd go along with it.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	39. Chapter 39

One more update for ya.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I stayed on Odessen while Rio traveled to Zakuul to crash Vaylin's party. I spent the entire time working on my ship and trying not to think about it. It worked well to take my mind off the fact that my brother was off, once again, risking his life.

Rio and Theron, actually. It sucked they often did dangerous work together. Nothing like having your only living relative and your boyfriend who had just said he loved you for the first time, both be in mortal danger at the same time, to make your stress levels go through the roof.

When their shuttle arrived back in the hanger bay, I put down my tools and headed over to see how things went and to make sure they were all still in one piece. Theron, Rio and Lana all exited the shuttle, but the person following behind them was a surprise...Arcann.

I walked up to them, leaning against a cargo crate. It took a few moments for everyone to stop pointing their weapons at the former emperor.

"You do know you went to Zakuul to defeat or kill the other sibling, right?" I joked.

"Very funny, Nikka. Arcann helped us on Zakuul. He's sworn loyalty to the Alliance and is going to help us take down his sister." Rio said, very matter of fact.

I eyed Arcann, probing him lightly through the Force, just as Lana had taught. When his power pushed lightly back, I withdrew. He was being sincere, as far as I could tell, but he was far stronger than I'd ever be. He could be trying to fake me out.

I shrugged. "The more, the merrier, I guess."

"Can you take Arcann to go see his mother?" Rio asked.

"Sure." I walked up to them. "Blue eyes, huh? They suit you much better than the orange. If you'll follow me, your former emperorship."

I headed into the command center and Arcann followed along beside me.

"So, are you really purged of all your bad mojo?" I asked as we walked. People stared at us as we passed by, but that was something Arcann would need to get used to, if he was truly joining us. At least no one pointed their weapons at us.

"Yes, Senya's sacrifice offered me a chance, but it's a struggle to keep the corruption at bay. Valkorion hurt me far worse than any blade or blaster ever could, but I am trying. I have much to atone for." Arcann's voice was deep and slightly gravelly. His tone was sincere.

"Everyone has something to atone for. Some more than others, but atonement is always possible. People can change." I said, sounding almost like a Jedi without trying.

We were in an empty passageway, just outside the command center door. Arcann stopped and looked at me critically.

"So, you are one of the Force users known as Jedi." It was a statement, not a question.

I stopped with him. "No. I was trained for a few months by the Jedi, but I'm not one of the Order."

"You act as though you do not have power through the Force. You have a great deal of potential power, but it's untrained...untested. Why?" He asked. His question wasn't accusing. It was like he couldn't understand why I wasn't a Jedi, since I had the talent. I had been told that Zakullan knights considered a talent in the Force a gift, so in Arcann's mind, I was denying myself a gift.

I didn't like this conversation, but the fact Arcann was now the third person to mention my potential with the Force made me curious.

"How can you know my potential? You don't even know me."

"When you probed my mind, I probed back. In the short time it took for you to pull back, I could feel your power. If you're going to make a habit of probing people's minds, you might need to learn how to shield yourself. Without it, your probe will be a two way street if the person you connect with is strong enough."

I nodded. It made sense. "I'll keep that in mind." I waved my arm towards the medical center. "Shall we continue?"

We started walking again.

"My mother is still alive?" Arcann asked quietly.

"In a manner of speaking. She's still breathing and our doctors have been able to keep her body alive, but she won't wake up. Many of our Force users, of many types, have tried to reach her, but to no avail. Maybe you'll have better luck."

Arcann nodded his head once. "She was willing to sacrifice herself for me. I'll do whatever I can to bring her back."

As we walked into the medical center, I couldn't help but think the statement was not something the old Arcann would say. Only more proof he had changed. I escorted him to Senya, who lay unchanged in a bed at the far corner. The doctor on staff was alarmed at Arcann's presence, at first, but I waved him away while Arcann stood by his mother's bedside. He took her hand with his real one and a slight hiccup in the Force bounced off my mind from the contact. It was weak, but there.

A few moments later, Senya began to stir and her eyes opened. She didn't say anything, just looked up at her son and smiled. I noticed Arcann must have got his eyes from his mother. It was easier to recognize now that they had the same eye color.

I stepped out of the medcenter and pulled out my holo. Rio answered almost immediately. "Guess who just woke up."

Rio actually chuckled. "I was wondering if his presence would have an impact on Senya's condition. I'll be over in an hour or so. Can you keep an eye on them until I get there?"

"No problem."

I ended the call and reentered the center. I stood off to the side as doctors scanned the now fully awake woman. Arcann still held her hand, but kept to the side, so the doctors could do their work.

It was nice to see a family reunited, in a time when so many were being torn apart.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	40. Chapter 40

A quick in between chapter for ya.

* * *

I walked up to Arcann, who was standing by the railing looking out of the vast chasm. It was an amazing view, as long as you didn't mind heights. I wasn't so sure he should have been standing there alone, though. Someone might just be tempted to push him over. Most of the people on Odessen accepted his presence, knowing what he had done wasn't entirely his fault, but there were some who still held a grudge.

"You didn't go with them to Nathema." I said. I had figured he'd be going along on the mission, to help guide the team to the facility where Vaylin had been taken as a child. Where her conditioning was performed. Where she was driven insane.

"No. Nathema is no place for someone recovering from Force related issues." He turned and faced me. "Obviously, you didn't go either."

I shrugged. "I'm the commander's kid sister. He likes to keep me safely away from all the seriously dangerous stuff he does. Besides, I usually manage to find danger on my own without his help. Not to mention, for some reason, when that planet is brought up in conversation, it sends a shiver down my spine. I don't think it's a place I'd like to visit."

"Your connection to the Force is stronger than you think. The Force on Nathema was fractured by my father a long time ago. It's a difficult place to visit for those of us strong in the Force. The fact that you can feel this, even without seeing or visiting the planet, is impressive."

"I hope Lana will be okay." I said quietly. "She'll probably be my brother's primary backup."

"I prepared her as best I could for what she'll find. She seems like a focused enough individual to endure its oddities."

I sighed. "I hope so." I joined Arcann at the railing and we both looked out over the horizon. "The end is coming, isn't it? It's like nagging at the back of my mind. I thought it was just me worrying about Rio, but it's not. You can feel it just as much as I can."

Arcann nodded. "I can. I think our distance from the direct conflict allows us the insight. I can't say how the final battles will play out, but they will be soon. And we all must be ready for what must be done."

What must be done. He meant what must be done to stop Vaylin. I had a feeling he knew she'd never give up. It was likely we'd be forced to kill her. Arcann had already been responsible for his twin brother's death, now, he would likely play a part in his sister's death too.

We stood quietly for several minutes. It was amazing how this Arcann compared to what he used to be. Before, he was an uncaring, power hungry dictator. Now, he was considerate and almost soft spoken. He was truly a different man since his father's evil influence had been purged. I found this Arcann easy to talk to and comfortable to be around. His total turn gave me hope for the future for some reason.

We both turned when Senya joined us. She was still slightly pale, but much improved from her time in a comatose state.

"It's good to see you up and around." I said to her. She'd always been very kind to me, which was odd, since she wasn't the kindest of people. Not to mention I had a tendency to be annoying.

"I'm doing better. Not fully recovered, but I'll get there. I actually was looking for you. Arcann has been telling me you hold quite a bit of potential with the Force. I'd like to offer my services for training from a knight's perspective."

I actually laughed. "I really can't keep this a secret, can I." I said to myself, rather than anyone else.

Arcann chuckled too. "You've been using the Force more. Other strong Force users are going to start to notice. Getting trained in its use is probably the best chance you have at keeping it a secret at this point."

"Son of a…" I grumbled to myself. "It seems like the less I want to know, the more I'm forced to learn. Fine. Senya, you can help train me. Quietly. And talk to Lana first. If I'm going to have more than one trainer, I'd like you on the same page. I'd hate to ruffle any feathers."

The Force was, once again, giving me a headache. Of course, there was a chance we'd all be dead in a few weeks, anyway. All of this training nonsense might be for nothing. So, there was that.

The Force was making me pessimistic.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	41. Chapter 41

New Chapter up. I corrected something from the game I didn't like. Enjoy.

* * *

**Rio POV**

When we returned to Odessen to find it under siege, I knew the end was near. Vaylin had found the confidence, after being freed from her conditioning, to take out the Alliance. It also seemed like the fleet was now fully under her control again, though she wasn't using her ships to bomb the planet to dust. She had actually ordered a ground assault on the planet.

"This is personal to her now." Lana said. "She knows both her mother and her brother are on Odessen and she doesn't simply want to destroy them from orbit. She wants to be there for their punishment. Theirs and yours."

"Which means, we have a chance to stop her, once and for all." Theron replied.

"Land over by the edge of that wooded area." I ordered, pointing to a small clearing quite a ways from the base.

"I'll drop you and Lana off and try to get as close as I can to the hanger on the other side. I can do more damage if I sneak around by myself." Theron said.

He landed carefully in the clearing and lowered the ramp for Lana and I to exit. I turned and looked at my friend.

"Don't try to get too close. It looks like they have some anti aircraft weaponry out there."

"I'll be fine. You two just be careful. We have no idea where Vaylin is and where our people are. Good Luck." Theron replied, then raised the ramp and headed back around to approach the base from the opposite side.

I looked over at Lana. "Looks like we have a fight on our hands."

Lana actually smiled at me. "Don't we always?"

We slogged our way to the base, fighting skytroopers, knights and horizon guards along the way, as well as some walkers and other heavy weaponry. Eventually, we arrived at the gravestone, which was being defended by Senya and Arcann. Lana and I joined the fight.

"Any news from Vaylin?" I asked them when we had finally dispatched the last of the opposition threatening the gravestone. It helped that Jorgan was hanging out on an outcropping, being the expert sniper.

"None. She's most likely on one of the fleet ships." Senya replied.

I grumbled. "We need to get her downhere, if we're going to defeat her."

"There are several communication terminals around the enemy forces." Lana said. "Maybe we need to invite her down."

"When you face her, you won't be facing her alone." Arcann said. "I stand with you."

"We both will." Senya added.

Lana nodded. "Very well. While you three send the invitation, I'll try to liberate the command center and find Theron."

I caught Lana by the arm as she turned. "Be careful."

"Always." She replied, then headed into the base.

It felt odd, fighting alongside Senya and Arcann, but we managed to get to a communication terminal easily and talking with Vaylin had been a simple matter, as well. Once the invitation was sent, my holo began to beep.

"Commander? I need help." Vette said, clutching her side. "I've been sneaking around, sabotaging some of their anti aircraft guns. A whole squad of skytroopers have me surrounded. A little help would be fabulous." The call was interrupted by another call. "I'm pinned down by knights at the front of the base, Commander. I'm the last one standing, but I won't be for long." Torian said, not injured, but obviously in a bad place.

Before I could answer either of them, Valkorion froze time and almost laughed at me. "You only have time to save one. Who will live and who will die? Will it be our twi'lek thief or your mandalorian? Are you ready for the burden of watching one of them die, helpless to save them?"

Time speed back up, my mind racing. This wasn't a choice any commanding officer wanted to make, having to choose between his men. My holo began to beep again. "Now who's in trouble." I said quietly. Nikka's face appeared and my heart dropped.

"I heard the distress calls. Bowdaar, Risha and I are about two minutes from Vette. We'll help her, you just worry about Torian." She said. I could hear Bowdaar's battle cry in the background. It sounded like my sister's wookie friend was enjoying the battle.

"Understood." I replied, then switched back to Vette. "Nikka is on her way to help, Vette. Just hold tight." I then switched to Torian. "I'm on my way, Torian. Hold them as long as you can."

"Sometimes, you can save both of them." I said in my head to Valkorion.

* * *

**Nikka POV**

We headed towards Vette's location, trashing skytroopers left and right. Honestly, I think Bowdaar was having a little bit too much fun with the dismantling, but wookiees are funny like that. I just hoped we'd get to Vette in time.

We found her location by aiming towards the squad of skytroopers with their backs to us, obviously focusing on a target. We managed to take out all of them without much effort. Beyond the smoldering debris crouched Vette. She was injured, but still very much alive.

"Nice timing, Nikka." She said, trying to stand, but ended up falling back to one knee. "Another few minutes, and I was as good as toast."

I holstered my blaster, kneeling by her. Bowdaar and Risha took up positions around me. I pulled out some kolto and administered it quickly, noting the sigh of relief from Vette. "That should last you until we can get you to a doctor. Think you can walk?"

"If it will keep me alive, I'll dance a jig." She replied, standing and pulling out her blaster.

I laughed. I really did like Vette. She was one of the most amusing people I have ever met. It was amazing to think someone of her personality had been working for a Sith in a past life.

"Maybe later. Let's just get you to safety."

Before we could move, I was hit by an intense Force wave. "Son of a…" I said quietly, this time I was the one on one knee.

"What happened?" Risha asked, rushing over to help. She looked all around for whatever had injured me.

I took a few deep breaths and stood back up. "I think Vaylin is dead." I shook my head, trying to clear it. Whatever that was, it hurt like hell. "Regardless, let's get out of here."

We headed back to the base, but I couldn't help but wonder if what I had just felt was indeed Vaylin's demise. And, if she were dead, did we lose anyone in the process. Vaylin versus Arcann, Senya and Rio seemed like overkill, but did she manage to take one of them with her?

* * *

To Be Continued...

I see no reason why they couldn't both live! :)


	42. Chapter 42

Very quick chapter for ya...

* * *

**Nikka POV**

The good news: Vaylin was dead and Senya, Arcann and Rio were all still very much alive. They had managed to rescue Torian and confront Vaylin. The wave I felt through the Force had indeed been Vaylin dying.

The bad news: The Eternal Fleet was now leaderless and had reverted to its original programming, which was to kill all organic life.

The ships weren't attacking Odessen, but we were getting reports from all over the Republic, the Empire and wild space that dozens of planets were now being bombarded by the Eternal Fleet. I sat at a data terminal in the command center next to Theron, monitoring communications.

"I think the only way to stop the bombardments is for someone to take the throne." I said, turning to face Rio. "It's the only thing that makes sense."

Theron nodded. "I agree, Commander. We need to get to Zakuul and you need to take control of the throne and stop the ships from wiping out half the galaxy."

I stood in front of Rio, taking his hands. "You take the throne and all of this ends. It's what we've been working so hard to achieve. You got this."

Rio sighed, but nodded. "Will you…"

"I'll stay here." I finished for him. I knew that was what he was asking. "There's certainly enough for me to do. I'll hold down the fort, while you make history. Again."

Rio pulled me into a hug and I returned it. "Remember what we talked about. Be ready." He whispered to me.

When he pulled away, I gave him a single nod. I remembered our conversation. If Valkorion tried to take over Rio, I'd be ready to help stop him. As ready as I could be, anyway. Not that I'd have much chance against Valkorion, regardless of who's body he was inhabiting, but I'd try my hardest. For Rio.

Rio placed a hand on my cheek, then turned and headed towards the hanger bay. Senya and Arcann turned to follow, but I stopped Senya. Once Rio was far enough away, I looked the older woman in the eyes.

"Take care of him. I know he must take the throne, but I've got a bad feeling." I could tell Senya was having the same bad feeling. She understood what I was talking about. She simply nodded, then left.

"What'd you say to her?" Theron asked, standing beside me, pausing before heading to follow the rest.

"I asked her to watch Rio's back." I smiled up at Theron. "Not that you won't be, of course, but I think he can use all the help he can get."

I kissed Theron deeply, before he could ask anything else, then pulled him into a hug. "You be careful, too. I don't want to lose either of you."

Theron actually chuckled. "I just told you I loved you. Dying would kinda ruin the whole thing." He kissed me again, then he followed behind everyone else...to end this.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	43. Chapter 43

A little bit long chapter for your reading pleasure. :)

* * *

**Nikka POV**

I only stayed in the command center for about an hour after the team left. That was as long as I could stand to monitor the attacks of the Eternal fleet. I just couldn't sit still, knowing basically everyone I loved was on their way to Zakuul and, in the meantime, thousands of people were being killed on dozens of worlds. I needed to find a better distraction.

I decided to head to the medcenter, since several people I knew were still there, being treated for injuries caused during the attack on Odessen. I walked in to find Vette being checked over by one of our doctors. She smiled at my approach and moved to sit up from her bed, but the motion made her grab her side.

"No need to get up on my account." I said to her, stopping by the bed. "How're you feeling?"

Vette leaned back, sighing in relief. "My injuries were more serious than I realized. The Doc here says I'm gonna be stuck in this medcenter for at least a few days, if not a week. It sucks, but I'm very happy to be alive. Thanks for that."

"Not a problem. You were brave and fought well. I'm just happy that my crew and I were close enough to get to you in time."

"That makes two of us. Any news on the Zakuul front?" Vette asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. They haven't had time to even get to the planet yet. Why do you think I'm wandering around? I needed to find something to take my mind off it, since there is nothing I can do to help from here."

"Well, you're cheering me up, so you're doing something constructive, at least. It might not be helping their mission, but it's sure as hell helping me. I hate being injured. It doesn't happen very often."

The Twi'lek grinned at me and I couldn't help but smile back. Vette really was a unique soul and speaking with her did make me feel better.

* * *

The next day, I was sitting quietly in the cantina with Risha. We weren't drinking heavily. I was just sitting in the catina to keep myself distracted and Risha had wandered in and decided to join me. We chatted here and there, but not much was said.

"Captain?" said a voice from behind me.

I turned and found one of the men who had been monitoring the situation in the control room. He was a bit out of breath, obviously running to find me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Eternal Fleet has stopped their attacks. As far as we can tell, they're returning to Zakuul."

I sighed.

"Someone must have taken the throne." Risha said. "That's good news, right?"

"For those who were being attacked, yes, but who took the throne?" I replied. "Just because the attacks stopped, doesn't mean it's the commander controlling the fleet."

"Who else would take it? Arcann?" Risha asked, concerned.

I shrugged. "Arcann, Senya, who knows. I'll just feel better once we get word that everyone's alright and on their way back here."

"Don't be such a worrywart, Nikka. Everything is going to be fine." Risha said confidently. So confidently, I almost believed her.

* * *

**Rio POV**

I felt like I was recovering from a bout with the flu. My head was pounding and if I stood up too quickly, I'd get a quick wave of nausea. Being possessed by a dark Force entity was rough on the system. Feeling crappy was worth it, though, since Valkorion was gone. Gone for good this time around.

The final battle inside my head had been the most difficult fight I'd ever had in my very intense career. I'd probably still be lost in my own mind, if Senya, Arcann and even Vaylin hadn't rallied to my side. In the end, it was Valkorion's family who defeated him. I was just the battlefield. Senya and Arcann now seemed more at ease and I honestly hoped Vaylin's soul found peace. She had been just another victim in Valkorion's game. We all had been, but now it was finally over.

We were on our way back to Odessen, having secured the throne. I sat alone, with my eyes closed, in the small galley of the ship. Even though it would take some time for me to recover from my most recent ordeal, I was thankful to be truly alone, something I hadn't experienced since being thawed from carbonite. I only opened my eyes when I heard the door open.

"How are you feeling, Commander?" Lana asked, taking a seat across from me. She looked worried. It was an expression I didn't see often on my Sith friend. She was usually very good at controlling her emotions so they didn't show on the outside. It was nice that she felt comfortable enough with me to drop her guard every once in a while.

"Like I was run over by a herd of banthas and the last one in line stepped on my head." I said, though I couldn't help but smile at Lana. "But it beats being possessed."

Lana laughed. "I'm very glad I have no experience in the matter. I'm sure you'll feel better with a bit of rest. Now that the Eternal Fleet is yours to command, you might actually be able to take a few days off."

I scoffed. "I doubt that."

"Okay, let me rephrase. You'll be able to take a few days off, since nothing that could happen over those days will be beyond Theron and my ability to cope. You've been to hell and back. You've earned a few days."

I sighed deeply. I couldn't stop myself. "For once, I'm not going to fight you on it." I opened my eyes and looked at her. "You do know everything that happened was all a part of Valkorion's plan. His death, Arcann taking over, then Vaylin. All of it was his plan. He wanted me to kill Arcann. He kept saying that the only way to stop him was to kill him."

"Valkorion just wanted my power, to add to his own." Arcann said, walking into the room. I was still getting used to seeing him as an ally and friend, rather than someone out to kill me. "Just as he took Vaylin's power when we killed her."

I nodded, sitting up a little straighter. "You were never children to him. Once you were both strong enough, he figured he'd take your power, get himself a new body and continue with his dream of a perfect empire under his rule."

"But we defeated him. He won't hurt another soul, ever again. I also think Vaylin may have finally found peace. She never knew peace, even as a child. Death has granted her the peace she could never find in life." Arcann said sadly, leaning against the wall.

Arcann had been through more than any other. He had killed his own twin for his father. His father, who had basically brainwashed his own son to be a tool for destruction.

"Maybe, now that you are truly free from Valkorion, you can find some peace, too."

Arcann nodded. "Perhaps."

Peace would be great, but at the moment, all I wanted was a vacation.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	44. Chapter 44

New chapter up. Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

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**Nikka POV**

Lana crouched by the ledge, macrobinoculars held to her eyes. A medical droid hovered close by, doing constant scans of our team, but fortunately, Iokath wasn't as radioactive as we had originally planned and the droid was mostly unnecessary. Somehow, the planet had scrubbed itself of almost all of the harmful radiation which had almost killed our people the first time they were on the planet.

I stood opposite her, my own macrobinoculars focused on the surrounding area. I had come along to practice some of the Force techniques Lana and Senya had been teaching me and I was getting a very peculiar feeling through them. My eyes, on the other hand, weren't seeing anything.

"Something's odd about all of this." I said quietly, still scanning.

"I'm not sensing anything out of the ordinary." Lana replied. "Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes, though the Sith couldn't see it. "Of course I'm sure. I'm here to work on all this Force nonsense, remember? I wouldn't have commented if I didn't sense something."

Lana's holo began to beep and our conversation halted. The call was from Rio and Theron back on Odessen and I sat quietly to the side as they discussed the superweapon we were on Iokath to find. As they were talking, I saw movement from behind us, but before I could speak up, our medical droid was shot down.

"The Republic is here." Lana said as we raced around the corner for cover, dodging blaster fire.

"Not just the Republic." I chimed in, getting a closer look at the movement I had detected. "Those are Sith Empire soldiers." I motioned and we both watched as the two sworn enemies started to attack each other, forgetting us for the moment.

"Damn, I lost the holo. Let's get somewhere secure, before we get caught in the crossfire."

Our team hurried into the building whose rooftop we were occupying and around several turns until we were in a secure and defensible location. I pulled my blaster out and turned my back on Lana, as she attempted to regain contact with Odessen. This investigation had just turned into a party.

"Commander, I think we lost them." Lana said as the holo came back to life.

"Lost who?" Rio said, concerned.

"The Republic and the Sith Empire are both here on Iokath. It's a safe bet they're looking for the superweapon too."

I turned, facing the holo. "How's that possible, unless they got the same tip we did. It's too much of a coincidence to have all of us here in the same place, at the same time. Someone's playing a game with us."

"I'm on my way to Iokath with the fleet. Lana, contact Empress Acina and whoever is running the show for the Republic these days. Tell them we need to talk."

I could hear Theron sigh through the holo. "The Republic military is being run by Supreme Commander Jace Malcom."

Theron and his father were still not on the best of terms. As far as I knew, they hadn't spoken since Theron left the Republic to search for Rio. This was sure to put a new and interesting wrinkle into the conversation.

"Do what you can to keep everyone from killing each other until we talk." Rio said.

"We'll do our best, Commander, but I'd say haste is probably in order. More than likely, both sides will attack us on sight."

With a final nod, Lana ended the holo.

"I was thinking, Lana, I doubt Malcom and Acina are on Iokath now. They're probably on their fleet ships, which means we'll need to find...volunteers...to call up their bosses when Rio gets here. Why don't you try to wrangle yourself an Imperial representative and I'll grab me a Republic one. If we stick to our former sides, maybe we can do this without resorting to kidnapping and bloodshed. We'll meet at the spire, so there won't be any delay when Rio arrives. It won't take long for the fleet to get here."

Lana thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. Once they learn we're with the Alliance, I bet both sides will come quietly, though I'd take some men, just to be sure."

"My thoughts exactly, but I don't need any backup. I'm gonna stealth my way in, just be careful. In this case, I doubt we can trust either Acina or Malcom. To both of them, we're just a more powerful rival, former alliances be damned. But, I'm betting both of them will want us on their side."

Lana actually chuckled. "You've been spending too much time with Theron."

I shrugged. "I'm sleeping with the man. Kinda goes with the territory, I guess."

"We'll meet back up at the spire once we've grabbed our representatives." Lana said, heading towards the location where we saw the Imperials and took our team with her.

I turned and focused in with the Force. There was an odd familiarity coming from the Republic soldiers on the planet. I pulled out my personal stealth generator, clipped it to my belt and turned it on, then hurried towards the Republic soldiers. My only chance to find someone without violence was to find the commanding officer of the soldiers on the ground and convince them to talk with Rio. The only way I'd get close was to be sneaky.

I weaved for quite a while, not entirely sure if I was even going the right way, until I found a relatively small group of Republic soldiers. One of them had a holo out and was talking to someone. As I snuck closer, I heard the person talking on the other end of the line. It was definitely Jace Malcom. I was willing to bet the one holding the holo was the commanding officer on the ground. The soldier had their back to me, so I was able to get very close before I pulled out my blaster and held it to their head.

"For special forces, you're really bad at securing an area." I said, allowing my stealth to fade.

The soldiers around us all pulled their weapons on me and the commanding officer turned around slowly. I immediately lowered my blaster so it was pointed more towards the floor.

"Elara?"

"Lower your weapons, men." Elara barked, her eyes wide. "Nikka? What in the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here with the Eternal Alliance. I was looking to grab a Republic representative so we can talk, before too many people get killed." I kept my blaster out, though I was fairly certain Elara wouldn't shoot me. This was the reason for my odd feelings through the Force. Though my Force powers were fairly weak when I last saw her, Elara's place in the Force was familiar, though not enough for me to know it was her I was sensing.

"That would be me. I can speak for Commander Malcom."

I holstered my blaster. "Perfect. Come with me, please. I'd leave your soldiers here. We don't need too many people in this meeting. It's going to be volatile enough as it is."

Elara considered my advice for a moment, then nodded in agreement, turning to her men. "Hold this ground until I tell you otherwise." She ordered, then turned to follow me.

We walked quietly towards the spire. I honestly didn't know what to say. I was debating whether or not to tell her Rio was alive and the commander of the Alliance. I didn't want to give her any false hope, since, even though Rio was ex-Republic military, he wasn't with the Republic military anymore and, technically, we were still allies with the Sith Empire.

"It's good to see you." Elara finally said, timidly. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever run into you again, all things considered. How did you get mixed in with the Alliance?"

"Come now, Elara, you know me. I've been skirting the line between the Republic and Empire for years. After the Eternal Empire came on the scene, it was the only way to make a living. The Alliance was an obvious choice for me and mine. I'm an opportunistic business woman, remember?"

"I guess some things never change." She said, smiling. I guessed my admission to playing both sides of the field didn't shock her. I sensed she wanted to ask about Rio, but she didn't say another word and I was thankful. If Elara was one thing for sure, it was a professional. Personal conversations were never easy for her, even with me.

When we arrived at the spire, the main control room was occupied by Lana and a man in an Imperial uniform. Elara reached for her sidearm, but I put a hand on her arm, stopping her motion.

"It's okay, Elara, Lana's with me. She's with the Alliance." I said. Elara stopped the motion, but remained tense. I really couldn't blame her. Though she, no doubt, knew Lana from back in the day, the other man was Imperial. She might even recognize him from her time with the Empire.

Lana looked to Elara, then me. "Well, this should be interesting."

The door at the far end of the room slid open and Rio and Theron walked in. "Interesting, to say the least."

Lana turned to face them. "Welcome back to Iokath, Commander."

"I wish I could say I was happy to be back." He looked past Lana and his eyes widened.

"Elara?"

"I prefer to be called Captain Dorne, considering the circumstances." Elara said, without missing a beat. "Later." She said after several long seconds.

Rio nodded. "Later."

I took several steps back and leaned against the wall, observing the events in front of me. I was more sensing the situation than hearing it.

Everyone was on edge. Rio and Lana, most likely because of Elara. Elara because of Rio, Theron because of his father. Malcom was trying to play favorites by being all open and friendly to him, obviously trying to play the 'father of your friend' card. Then there was the Imperial. Major Quinn. He was the least on edge, but he was also up to something. I placed my hand, not on my blaster, but near it, and waited.

Empress Acina and Commander Malcom both said their piece. They actually both made good points. Rio listened to each and asked both Lana and Theron for their opinions. Unfortunately for Acina, Rio's heart was with the Republic, regardless of being the commander of the Alliance. His decision to ally with the Republic wasn't a surprise.

Once Rio announced the Alliance would be backing the Republic, Major Quinn threw a flash grenade. I pulled my blaster, but wasn't sure if I'd hit anything, since the smoke from the bomb had impaired my aim.

"Dammit, he got away." Theron said, looking around once the smoke cleared.

I walked up to where the major had been standing and looked around the ground. "Not entirely. I hit him." I said, pointing out the blood droplets on the ground. "Probably not more than a graze, but it was enough to draw blood. Maybe it'll slow him down."

"I'm on my way down to our command hub. The captain will show you the way. We'll discuss our new alliance in person." Malcom said before the holo call ended.

Rio looked like he wanted to stay and talk with Elara, but she hurried out of the room. Rio and Lana followed, but Theron and I paused enough to give us some privacy.

"This should be fun." Theron said quietly. I could tell he was in no hurry to be in the same room as his father. "That was a nice shot, though."

I scoffed. "If it were a nice shot, he'd be dead." I looked more closely at Theron. He seemed off somehow, though I really couldn't explain how. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I just have a bad feeling."

"That makes two of us." I agreed. "I have a feeling nothing about this situation is going to end well." I gave Theron's hand a squeeze. "Let's catch up to our fearless leader. From what you told me about this place the last time you were here, I don't want to get lost."

We hurried along, but I just couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	45. Chapter 45

thanks for reading!

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**Nikka POV**

I remained silent as Rio and Commander Malcom worked out a functional alliance, which included going after a cash of Iokath weapons. I observed quietly and sensed what I could through the Force. I caught Lana eyeing me a time or two, obviously curious to see if I was using her lessons.

Commander Malcom, in person, was exactly like I'd figured he would be, considering my knowledge about the military. He was a hardass and had the raw intensity you'd expect from a high ranking military officer from the Republic. He had what could only be described as an absolute loyalty.

Malcom reminded me of an older version of Rio. They had a similar build and attitude, though Rio was a bit less intense and more open minded. Malcom seemed to have one, all encompassing goal, to destroy the Sith Empire. This was good from a military leader, but he would have been a terrible faction leader. He lacked a sense of diplomacy which Rio had in spades, since taking command of the Alliance.

I tried to find any traits in Malcom that might have been passed down to Theron, but I really couldn't see much of either him or Satele in my boyfriend. Most of what Theron was as a person he learned from Master Ngani Zho and it showed. Sometimes, Theron was more Jedi than I was, but not a Jedi like his mother. It was interesting to see where he came from, though, at least biologically.

I was snapped out of my musings by Rio.

"Lana, you and Nikka stay here and help secure the area. Theron and I will go after the weapon stores."

"Yes Commander." Lana replied.

Rio looked at me. "You got it." I said, much more casually.

Theron walked up to me and gave me a meaningful look. He took my hand and squeezed it, before leaving with Rio. It looked like he wanted to do more than just take my hand, but he was showing discretion, most likely due to the presence of his father.

"They'll be fine." Lana said to me quietly, so only I heard it.

I nodded. Looking around the command hub of the Republic, I was getting an odd sense of deja vu. It reminded me of the command center on Odessen. I saw Elara working on a console alone to the side, so I decided to fish for more information.

"Nice to see you made out fairly well after leaving Havoc. I spent a lot of time looking for you over the years." I said, casually leaning against the console.

Elara looked up. She looked worried, almost sad. "I looked for Rio for years after we were separated on Marr's ship. I honestly gave up hope I'd ever see him again."

"Yes, I figured. Are you going to tell him?" I asked.

"Tell him?"

Elara feigned ignorance, but she knew exactly what I was asking. Her reaction to seeing Rio and their quick conversation afterwards spoke volumes.

"Don't play dumb with me, sweetie. You've moved on. I can tell."

Elara sighed deeply and looked at the ground. "Rio is going to hate me."

I scoffed. "No he's not. It's been six years, Elara. He'll understand and he certainly won't be mad. Hurt, perhaps, but not mad. And I honestly don't think he could ever hate you."

She looked back up at me, lowering her voice. "Did he…"

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm not going there. If you want to know what happened to him over the last six years, you're going to have to ask him yourself. I just want you to talk to him. Rio needs closure, and frankly, so do you."

We stood quietly for a moment and Commander Malcom joined us. He seemed worried.

"Everything alright over here?" He asked. It seemed an odd question.

"Of course, Sir. We're just talking." Elara replied.

"Yep, us gals are just having a little...family reunion." I said.

Malcom's eyes widened. "Family?"

"Nikka is The Alliance Commander's sister, Sir. We've known each other for years."

Malcom eyed both of us, but nodded and walked away. In that moment, I learned something profound.

"By the Force." I said, almost at a whisper. "You have a type, I see."

Elara looked at me, confused for a moment.

"You're with Malcom. Your type is commanding officers."

Elara's mouth dropped open.

"How did you know that?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Well, that interaction just now wasn't the usual for a commanding officer and his subordinates." I tapped my temple with my finger. "And, I've been doing a bit more training with my Force abilities. Trust me, I can tell. This is something you really should tell Rio, too."

"If I didn't tell him about Jace, would you…" She was almost pleading.

I shook my head. "No. Again, it's not my place or my news. I was just making a suggestion."

Elara nodded, relieved. "I'll talk to Rio as soon as there's an opportunity to be alone. You don't hate me, do you?"

"No. Everything happens for a reason, Elara. I know this better than most. Everything works out the way it's supposed to. Call it what you will, the Force, fate, luck, it's all the same. If you're happy with Malcom, then I'm happy for you. And Rio, well, he's strong. He'll be alright. It's not like you cheated on him or left him. This was a very unique situation you found yourself in and no one can blame you for wanting to be happy too."

I looked over at Commander Malcom. He was still watching us discreetly out of the corner of his eye. I'd been dating a spy long enough to know when I was being watched. And speaking of my spy boyfriend, I didn't even want to think about my ex-sister-in-law now being my boyfriend's stepmother. Yeah, I'm going to keep that little tidbit to myself for the time being.

"We should probably get back to work. Your new main squeeze is watching us very closely. I've said my piece." I said quietly. I took a few moments to evaluate the commander. He was an attractive older man, in his own way, but he wasn't Theron.

Elara nodded. "Agreed. Thank you for understanding."

"Not a problem, but remember what I said. Talk to him."

I walked away, not entirely sure how I felt. It was going to be rough for Rio to find out his wife was now his ex-wife, but he needed the closure, particularly if the feelings brewing between him and Lana were to ever become more than just attraction.

Oh, and we had a superweapon to find.

* * *

To Be Continued...


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